(A) The state ESINet steering committee
shall oversee the development, implementation and revision of minimum training
standards for telecommunicators who answer and process 9-1-1 requests for
service in the state of Ohio and ensure they are kept up to date with industry
standards. Resources to consult with include the national emergency number
association, the association of public safety communication officials, the
United States department of transportation and other industry
resources.
(B) The office of the 9-1-1 administrator
will establish a process for certifying that telecommunicators meet the minimum
training requirements contained in this rule.
(C) Any person who answers 9-1-1 requests
for service shall be trained to the minimum training standards before handling
such 9-1-1 requests without direct oversight.
(D) The components of the minimum
training program required are listed in this paragraph. Agencies can utilize a
commercially available program that contains these components, or develop a
local training program that contains the required instructional components.
Training will consist of a minimum of forty hours of instruction.
(1) Component 1 - general
knowledge
(a) Knowledge and awareness of population and
demographics
(b) Knowledge and awareness of geography
(c) Knowledge and awareness of first responder agencies and their
jurisdictions
(d) Knowledge and awareness of the incident command system (ICS),
national incident management system (NIMS), federal, state and local
interoperable communication plans and federal, state and local emergency
operations plans
(2) Component 2 - general
skills
(a) Ability to quickly process information and make logical
decisions
(b) Stress management
(c) Provide good customer service
(d) Multi-task in a fast-paced environment
(e) Work effectively with others to solve problems
(f) Communicate clearly in written and oral form,
especially when relaying emergency information to first responders or
communicating with the public requesting emergency assistance
(g) Ability to operate and/or respond to emergency alerts,
including but not limited to amber, blue, missing adult, and emergency weather
alerts
(h) Ability to achieve and maintain certification and
operate applications and databases necessary to answer and process 9-1-1
requests for service
(3) Component 3 - agency
skills
(a) Ability to operate agency computer
equipment
(b) Ability to operate agency telecommunication
equipment
(c) Ability to operate agency computer applications and
systems
(d) Ability to read, comprehend and apply agency policies
and procedures
(4) Component 4 - call taking
skills
(a) Ability to answer and process calls in accordance with
established procedures
(b) Ability to obtain complete information
(c) Ability to properly classify and prioritize the request for
service
(d) Ability to process available information to identify
conditions that may affect safety
(e) Ability to document call details accurately
(f) Ability to accurately verify, document and relay initial
dispatch information
(g) Ability to handle/de-escalate hostile, hysterical or
difficult callers to obtain information
(h) Ability to initiate emergency call tracing procedures
and subscriber information requests in exgent circumstances
(i) Ability to recognize phase 1 versus phase 2 location
technology, understanding how to use both
(j) Understanding the procedures for processing and
responding to text messages, photos and video sent to 9-1-1, if
applicable