Season 3 Episode 6: Don't Wait for the Application: Recruiting 9-1-1 Before Graduation, with Tara Vann

What if the next generation of 9-1-1 telecommunicators started learning the job before they ever filled out an application? In this episode, Lori Henricksen sits down with Tara Vann, Director of Jefferson County 9-1-1 in Kearneysville, WV, to talk about the center's high school emergency telecommunications pathway program and the results from its first year.Tara shares how introducing students to 9-1-1 before graduation gives centers something a thirty minute interview never can: an entire school year to watch a student grow, learn the realities of the job, and understand how to cope with the stress of being the true first first responder. She walks through the wins, including a first year hire rate that outpaced every other CTE program in the county, congratulatory letters from state officials, and a graduation ceremony, caps, gowns, valedictorian and all, that turned seven students into local celebrities the newspaper called the Magnificent Seven.The conversation doesn't stop at the highlight reel. Tara is candid about the real challenges of standing up a program like this: virtual learning limitations, school attendance policies that clash with center schedules, mismatched purchasing processes between county government and schools, and internet connectivity issues that can slow down CAD and other time sensitive systems. She also discusses the value of pursuing state teaching certification for center trainers who take on instructor roles.For any 9-1-1 director considering a similar partnership with a local high school, Tara's advice is direct: go in without preconceived notions, understand it's a partnership built on mutual responsibility, and be ready to explain your why. Because as she puts it, recruitment doesn't have to start with a vacancy announcement. Sometimes it starts in a classroom.In this episode:Why early exposure builds stronger telecommunicators than traditional hiring aloneHow a high school pathway program strengthens ties between agencies, schools, and communitiesThe real operational and logistical hurdles of launching a school partnershipWhat success looks like beyond hire numbersAdvice for any agency considering a similar programBe sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast/