Prescott Campus to provide Dispatcher Academy Training this summer
Yavapai Community College will be training the next generation of dispatchers at their first Public Safety Dispatcher Academy, June 6-17 at the Northern Arizona Regional Training Academy (NARTA). The training will take place on Yavapai Community College’s Prescott Campus.
The Public Safety Dispatcher Academy has been in development since last Fall. It was created by local law enforcement professionals to address a shortage of skilled dispatchers.
According to Mr. Jim DeLung, Ph.D., Director of the Prescott Regional Communications Center, “A good dispatcher knows how to read, listen and speak in a first-responder role. They need incredible communication skills to collect and relay information in a timely and often urgent manner.” Dispatchers are multi-taskers, ready to assist at a moment’s notice, assessing emergency situations in real-time, coaxing out actionable details, controlling the emotions of the person on-scene, and relaying clear instructions to the proper authorities.
The Community College hopes to develop the academy into a six-credit certificate course under its Administration of Justice Studies (AJS) Program.