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CIT AND THE FORGOTTEN “First, FIRST RESPONDERS”:. The Importance of Training 9-1-1 personnel Presented by: Lisa fitzgerald Thomas Jefferson area cit Charlottesville, virginia. what is a “ first, first responder ”?. Communications officer Dispatcher Telecommunicator Call taker
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CIT AND THE FORGOTTEN “First, FIRST RESPONDERS”: The Importance of Training 9-1-1 personnel Presented by: Lisa fitzgerald Thomas Jefferson area cit Charlottesville, virginia
what is a “first, first responder”? • Communications officer • Dispatcher • Telecommunicator • Call taker • Emergency communicator • 9-1-1 OPerator https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebJFHcnaGCA
Why train emergency dispatchers in cit? • 9-1-1 personnel are often the first to make contact • 9-1-1 call takers can often diffuse the situation before police arrive • A negative interaction with 9-1-1 can set the tone for responders • 9-1-1 personnel typically receive very little training in crisis de-escalation • 9-1-1 call takers can refer citizens to resources other than police • 9-1-1 personnel may be aware of consumers who never see pd or mental health • 9-1-1 personnel can and should attend monthly cit meetings • 9-1-1 center holds a wealth of statistics that are useful to cit programs
What’s in it for me? • Establish buy in • 9-1-1 centers are all short staffed – is this training necessary? • Cit is for more than just mental health calls….
Cit training can be used for:https://youtu.be/ibVIdWcobak Domestics Disorders Suicidal callers Child callers Robberies Cardiac arrests Elderly callers overdose calls B&e in progress calls Active shooters sexual assaults Shootings Stabbings Abductions Missing children Officer involved shootings And so many more!
What to include in cit dispatcher training: • Description and overview of the cit program and why it is needed • Overview of mental health states and symptoms • Discussion about suicide and suicidal callers • “hearing voices” or another interactive activity for awareness • List Community resources available • De-escalation techniques for dispatchers • Scenario role-playing to reinforce those techniques
Don’t forget… • Use appropriate experts for each training topic • Keep your class size down (10-15 is ideal) • Scenarios are important and everyone needs to participate • Make sure the content is specific to 9-1-1 not just an 8 hrpd class • Cit for dispatchers should be at least an 8 hour class • Don’t let it end with the training – include them in CIT Monthly review
Contact information Lisa fitzgerald Charlottesville-uva-Albemarle county ecc 2306 ivy road Charlottesville, va 22903 Thomas Jefferson area cit lfitzger@Albemarle.org (434) 977-9041