Comms Coach Podcast

Most people think they understand 911. They know someone picks up. What they don't know is everything that happens in the seconds after—and that gap, it turns out, costs more than anyone realizes. In this special episode recorded in honor of 911 Education Month, host Lori Henricksen brings together three members of the GovWorks education team—Chief of Public Safety Engagement Tipi Brookins, Director of 911 Education Halcyon Frank, and Manager of Applied 911 Education Michael Mollo—for a panel conversation about why education might be the single most powerful and most underestimated tool in emergency communications.Tipi says it best: if the public truly understood what telecommunicators do—the split-second decisions, the technical juggling, the weight of being the lifeline between a caller in crisis and a responder heading toward danger—they wouldn't just be less frustrated when they're asked a lot of questions. They'd be in awe. Closing that gap isn't just good community relations. It makes every call go better.But this episode goes well beyond public awareness. Lori and her guests get into what real professional development looks like for telecommunicators, why the training that actually sticks is never just a checklist, and what happens to good people when agencies stop investing in them after they clear training. The workforce crisis in 911 isn't going to be solved by recruiting alone—and this panel makes a compelling case for what it actually takes to build a profession people choose to stay in.Each panelist brings a moment that makes it personal. Tipi's memory of guiding a mother through infant CPR on an Amtrak train on what may have been her very first solo call. Halcyon's description of watching the lightbulb turn on for a dispatcher in training. Michael's reminder that every call carries real consequences—for the person taking it and the responders heading out because of it.The episode ends with a challenge: do something. One post. One community event. One honest conversation with your team. Because as Tipi puts it, education is the liability insurance you can't buy.If you work in 911—or you care about the people who do—this one is worth your full attention.Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast/

What if you could hand a high schooler a headset, put them in a simulated 911 center, and watch the moment they realize this job is nothing like they imagined? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Teresa Burgamy—IT manager at Fresno County Sheriff's, lead dispatch instructor at Fresno City College Police Academy, and the woman behind one of the most innovative 911 outreach programs in the country—to talk about what it actually looks like to recruit the next generation before they even graduate.Teresa's path into emergency communications started at twelve years old through an explorer program in a small California town, and she's spent the decades since finding every possible way to bring others into the profession she loves. Her latest project might be her most creative yet: partnering with Fresno County's Regional Occupational Program to bring a fully retrofitted mobile dispatch trailer—complete with ten computers, ambient lighting, and AI-powered simulation calls—directly to high school students who didn't even know 911 dispatching was a career option.The results are exactly what you'd hope for. Students walk in nervous, hands shaking, not sure what to expect. A few calls in, they're competing with each other for the highest score, calling out the questions their classmates missed, and having the kind of "aha moments" that stick for life—like the student who realized too late that asking "do you have a weapon?" and "is there a weapon?" are not the same question.Lori and Teresa dig into why simulation-based learning works when lectures don't, how AI removes the bias and coaching that human role-players unintentionally provide, and why reaching students at this age doesn't just fill a pipeline—it educates their families, their teachers, and their entire communities about what dispatchers actually do. They also get practical about how any agency, regardless of size or budget, can start building these relationships with local schools—from guest speaking at a career day to partnering with existing ROTC or vocational programs.If your center is struggling with recruitment and you're looking for a strategy that builds genuine passion for the profession before candidates ever walk through your door, this episode is the conversation you need to hear.Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast/

Pizza parties and themed dress-up days aren't a wellness program. And in this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Tipi Brookins—Chief of Public Safety Engagement at GovWorks and former Chief of Staff at DC 911—to talk about what real wellness actually looks like in a 911 center, and why getting it right is the difference between a center that retains people and one that slowly burns through them.Tipi's relationship with 911 started before she ever worked in it. She called for her seriously ill father and experienced firsthand what it means to need that voice on the other end of the line. What followed was a career that took her through Amtrak Police, Montgomery County, the Metropolitan Police Department, and eventually to the highest levels of emergency communications leadership—with plenty of hard lessons along the way. She opens up about navigating toxic culture, carrying grief on the job, the slow drift of "mentally quitting," and what it felt like to lose an officer on her shift. These aren't stories she tells for effect. They're the experiences that shaped everything she now believes about how comm centers should treat their people.She and Lori dig into what trust, psychological safety, and emotional intelligence actually look like on the floor—not in a leadership seminar, but in the everyday moments that set the tone for an entire center. A check-in at the start of a shift. Feedback delivered with fairness and context. QA that builds confidence instead of quietly eroding it. Recognition that doesn't wait for Telecommunicator Week. The presence of a supervisor who's actually visible and engaged. None of it is complicated. None of it requires a budget line item. And all of it matters more than most leaders realize.For centers dealing with staffing shortages, burnout, and turnover—which is most of them—Tipi offers something more useful than inspiration: she offers a realistic roadmap. What to prioritize when resources are thin, where culture breaks down without anyone noticing, and why "take care of your people and they will take care of you" isn't a feel-good slogan—it's a retention strategy.If you lead a comm center, supervise a team, or work the floor and wonder why things feel the way they do, this episode will give you language for what you're experiencing and a place to start changing it.Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast/

Most 911 centers never think about branding. Whitney Moore thinks that's a mistake—and this episode might just change your mind too. Host Lori Henricksen sits down with the Communications Manager at Northwest Emergency Communications Center in Texas for a conversation about what happens when a dispatch center decides to take its identity seriously.Whitney's center wasn't always what it is today. It started as a small single-agency PSAP, and somewhere along the way her team made a decision: they were going to build something people were proud to be part of. That meant more than a new logo. It meant figuring out who they were, what they stood for, and how to show that to the people inside the center and the community on the other side of every call.The how is what makes this episode worth your time. Whitney partnered with a student-led PR agency out of TCU to develop a modern visual identity and months of social media content. She added a headset to the patch and created challenge coins—small moves that turned out to mean a lot on the floor. She built a brand neutral enough to represent multiple partner agencies without making anyone feel like an afterthought. And she leaned into something most centers wouldn't dare try: radical transparency, publishing QA metrics, satisfaction survey results, and performance data publicly, even when the numbers weren't pretty.She and Lori talk about why all of this matters beyond aesthetics. A strong brand attracts the next generation of telecommunicators. A consistent social media presence lets a center shape its own narrative instead of leaving it to whoever's complaining online. And when dispatchers see themselves reflected in something they're genuinely proud of, it shows up in morale, retention, and the way they carry themselves on the job.If you lead a comm center and you've never thought about branding as a leadership tool—this episode is your starting point.Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast/

What if the 911 dispatcher who takes your call tomorrow started learning the job in high school? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Eric Guerrero—a professional 911 dispatcher and former student in one of the nation's first high school dispatch programs—to talk about what happens when you give young people a real look at emergency communications before they ever apply for the job.Eric didn't set out to be a dispatcher. He wanted to be a CSI. But something shifted when he walked into Lori's classroom at Veterans Tribute Career & Technical Academy, and the path he thought he was on quietly gave way to the one he was actually meant for. He shares how that program gave him more than just technical skills—stress management, multitasking, call-taking, radio communications—it gave him an honest picture of what the job really demands, emotionally and mentally, before he was ever sitting in a real comm center with lives on the line.Lori and Eric dig into what makes these programs work: the sit-alongs, the guest speakers, the partnerships with local agencies, and the culture of integrity and mutual respect for every public safety role that gets woven into students from day one. They also make the case that early exposure to 911 careers doesn't just benefit students—it benefits agencies. When a candidate walks in already understanding the weight of the work, recruitment gets smarter, training gets faster, and retention gets better.Because the flip side is just as valuable: some students go through a program like this and realize public safety isn't for them. And that's a discovery worth making in a classroom, not six months into agency training.If you run a comm center, lead a training program, or work in education and you've ever wondered how to build a stronger pipeline into the profession—this episode is the blueprint you've been looking for.Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast/

Someone told Jessica Lindley she couldn't be a 911 dispatcher. She's been proving them wrong ever since. In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Jessica—a working dispatcher and a professional with a disability—for a conversation that challenges just about every assumption the 911 industry still carries about who belongs behind the headset.Jessica's connection to emergency communications started long before she ever applied for the job. At nine years old, she made a 911 call that changed her life—and planted a seed that never left. When a high school counselor later told her a dispatch career wasn't realistic for someone like her, she didn't walk away. She found a way in, and she's been building a case for inclusion ever since.This episode gets into the real, practical side of what it looks like to make a comm center accessible—not in theory, but on the floor. Headsets instead of handsets. Typing instead of handwriting when CAD goes down. Alternative radio controls. Low lockers, accessible shelves, verbal CPR certification. Jessica walks through the accommodations that made the difference for her, most of which cost little to nothing and benefit the entire team. She and Lori also dig into where most agencies are still getting it wrong—job descriptions written to exclude without realizing it, recruiting processes that never reach candidates with disabilities, and a lack of mentorship or representation that makes the career feel out of reach before anyone even applies.But the conversation goes beyond access. It gets at something deeper: the unique value that dispatchers with disabilities bring to the calls no one else quite knows how to handle—elderly callers, disabled callers, people who feel invisible until someone on the other end of the line actually gets it.If you hire, train, or lead people in a 911 center, this episode will make you rethink what an ideal candidate looks like—and why the most resilient, compassionate centers are the ones that stop assuming limitations and start asking what people can do.Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast/

What does it actually cost a 911 center when the culture is toxic—and who's responsible for fixing it? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Steve Sutton, a public safety professional with over 30 years across fire, EMS, corrections, and 911 communications, for a candid conversation about what it takes to build a comm center where people actually want to show up.Steve and Lori don't sugarcoat the reality. Chronic understaffing, mandatory overtime, cliques that make new hires feel like outsiders, and a job where you pour everything into calls and almost never hear how they turned out—it's a recipe for burnout, turnover, and a culture that slowly poisons itself. They've both seen it. And they've both seen what happens when leadership decides to do something different.The heart of this episode is a principle Steve lives by: what a leader does in moderation, staff will do in excess. That cuts both ways. Leaders who complain, check out, or play favorites give their teams permission to do the same. But leaders who model positivity, recognize their people consistently—not just during Telecommunicator Week—and invite everyone to the table? They build something that lasts.Steve gets practical about what that actually looks like: clear communication, genuine recognition (handwritten notes, public shoutouts, small gestures that signal someone was seen), encouraging certifications and professional growth, and paying close attention to the first 60 to 90 days when new hires are quietly deciding whether they're going to stay or go. That window matters more than most leaders realize.The payoff for getting this right isn't just a nicer place to work. It shows up in productivity, attendance, recruitment, retention, and the kind of teamwork that holds together when the calls get hard and the shift runs long.If you lead a comm center—or you're trying to change the culture of one from inside—this episode is the conversation you didn't know you needed.Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast/

What if the secret to better 911 training didn't require a bigger budget—just a little more creativity and a genuine commitment to doing the job well? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Kimberly Gouvea, retired LVMPD dispatcher and trainer with 20 years on the floor, for a conversation packed with practical, adaptable ideas that any comm center can start using right away.Kim has spent her career thinking about how people learn—and more importantly, how to reach the ones who don't learn the way a standard training program assumes they will. She and Lori dig into why understanding the difference between visual, auditory, and hands-on learners isn't just a nice-to-have, it's the difference between a trainee who thrives and one who washes out. And they make the case that teaching the "why" behind codes, protocols, and policies doesn't slow training down—it builds the kind of decision-making that holds up when things get complicated on a real call.The episode is full of training ideas you might not have tried: turning code memorization into rhymes and games, using typing competitions to build speed, having trainees draw maps from memory and follow pursuits on paper, even bringing flashcards and location-based games home so family members become part of the learning process. It sounds unconventional—and it works.Kim also makes a passionate case for ride-alongs and cross-training with field units. When dispatchers take the same patrol, K-9, and air unit classes designed for officers, something shifts. They stop just processing calls and start truly understanding what's happening on the other end of that radio. Better anticipation. Sharper awareness. Fewer gaps between the console and the street.They don't sidestep the hard realities either—staffing shortages, time pressure, burnout, and the temptation to treat training as something to get through rather than invest in. Kim's argument is straightforward: agencies that prioritize creative, continuous training see it come back in retention, morale, and performance. The ones that don't eventually pay a different kind of price.If you're looking for fresh ideas to bring back to your training program—and proof that most of them don't cost a thing—this episode delivers.Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast/

What happens when the person trained to help everyone else in crisis has been quietly falling apart themselves—and what does it take to come back from that? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Cassie Sexton, former dispatcher and law enforcement professional turned first responder wellness advocate, for one of the most honest and important conversations the show has had yet.Cassie's story doesn't start with wellness—it starts with survival. She entered law enforcement at 19, fell into dispatch, and built what looked like a successful career while quietly carrying unresolved trauma she never had the tools to process. The "suck it up and keep going" culture did what it always does: it worked, until it didn't. Cassie opens up about burnout, suicidal ideation, and a suicide attempt that became the turning point that changed everything. What came after—treatment, new coping skills, peer support, CIT certification—eventually led her to a full-time career dedicated to the people who spend their lives helping others but rarely ask for help themselves.The heart of this episode is Crisis Intervention Training and why it matters just as much for the dispatcher taking the call as it does for the officer walking through the door. Cassie breaks down what CIT actually teaches: how to recognize mental illness versus intoxication, how to shift from rapid-fire yes/no questions to the kind of open, empathetic conversation that actually builds trust with someone in crisis, and how a trained dispatcher can stay on the line—sometimes for an hour or more—and make a real difference in how that call ends. Better outcomes for callers. Safer scenes for responders. Fewer people with mental illness ending up in handcuffs instead of getting care.They also don't shy away from what this work costs the people doing it. Cassie teaches a CIT block specifically on dispatcher wellness—recognizing PTSD and stress in yourself, grounding and regulation techniques, and how to think about mental illness as the invisible injury it is. Lori and Cassie talk about short staffing, the emotional weight of long high-intensity calls, and why leaders and peers need to be actively checking in—not waiting for someone to wave a flag.If you work in a 911 center—on the floor, in a training room, or in a director's chair—this episode will challenge you, equip you, and remind you that the people taking the hardest calls deserve the same level of care they give to everyone else.Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast/

What does it look like to chase excellence in a 911 center without letting the pursuit of perfection get in the way? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Erika Lakey—veteran dispatcher, trainer, and co-founder of Those 911 Girls—for a conversation about what it really takes to grow as a 911 professional and build a culture where the whole team is moving forward together.Erika's path into emergency communications wasn't exactly a straight line—advertising, water parks, and a few unexpected turns brought her to a long-term career dispatching in Central Florida. She shares how discovering Lori's high school 911 dispatch program in Las Vegas lit a fire under her to raise the bar in her own agency and push for something better across the state of Florida.The conversation covers a lot of ground. Lori and Erika dig into why curiosity and lifelong learning are non-negotiable for 911 professionals, how understanding the "why" behind policies makes you better at the job, and what it means to become a trainer who shares knowledge generously instead of gatekeeping it. They talk about building depth across a team so the center isn't held hostage when one person walks out the door.They also get real about the obstacles—staffing shortages, tight budgets, limited training funds—and get practical about working around them through scholarships, virtual training, PTO swaps, and cross-agency collaboration. And because the job doesn't stay at the console, Erika speaks candidly about boundaries, mental health, hobbies, and the importance of friendships outside public safety.Erika also introduces Those911Girls.com, a growing resource hub that aggregates free and paid training, scholarships, conferences, and professional development tools for 911 professionals—with plans to expand into state-specific pages. If you know of local opportunities worth adding, she wants to hear from you.At its core, this episode is a reminder that excellence isn't built in a single shift—it's built day by day, through consistent effort, shared knowledge, and a genuine commitment to the people on your team and the communities on the other end of the line.Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast/

What separates a 911 center that's just getting by from one that's genuinely excellent—and how do you close that gap? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Samantha Hawkins, a nationally recognized 911 trainer and QA evaluator with Motivations, to dig into what a real quality assurance program looks like in emergency communications and why it might be the most underutilized tool in the industry.Samantha's path from Cobb County Department of Emergency Communications in metro Atlanta to her current role as a PSAP professional trainer, traveling dispatcher, and QA evaluator gives her a perspective that's both frontline and big-picture. She's seen what works, what doesn't, and what happens when centers skip the QA conversation altogether.The episode unpacks what quality assurance in 911 actually means—think less "gotcha" culture, more coaching and continuous improvement. Samantha walks through what evaluators are really listening for: protocol adherence, tone and delivery, how call-takers handle confusion, whether they're keeping callers informed, and where freelancing creeps in and why it matters. She makes a compelling case for why standardized protocols—whether from APCO, IAED, PowerPhone, state POST, or your own agency SOPs—aren't bureaucratic overhead. They're your consistency and your liability protection.She and Lori also get into the mechanics of building a program that actually sticks: how outsourcing QA can bring objectivity and reduce the burden on in-house staff, why feedback should always be private and coaching-focused rather than punitive, and the value of letting call-takers listen to their own calls. From dispatch review committees to refresher training, job aids, and documented sign-offs, the conversation is full of concrete ideas you can bring back to your center.But the thread running through all of it is culture. The best QA programs aren't about catching people doing it wrong—they're about catching people doing it right, recognizing your headset heroes, and making every telecommunicator feel like a stakeholder in the quality of their center.If you're a director, supervisor, trainer, QA staff member, or frontline telecommunicator who wants to strengthen your program and raise the standard of care in your comm center, this one's for you.Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast/

What happens to the people who take the hardest calls—and who's there for them when the headset comes off? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Tina DeCola, Communications Supervisor with Las Vegas Fire & Rescue and trainer with the Denise Amber Lee Foundation, for a deeply personal and practical conversation about dispatcher wellness and what peer support actually looks like inside a 911 comm center.Tina brings 21 years of emergency communications experience to this conversation—including a suicidal-caller incident that left a lasting mark, and the experience of supporting dispatchers in the aftermath of the October 1 Las Vegas mass shooting. She doesn't talk around the hard stuff. She talks through it, and that's what makes this episode worth your time.She breaks down what a peer support program really is, why it matters that dispatchers—not just clinicians—are on the team, and how peer support helps call-takers work through critical incidents, child deaths, suicidal callers, and the kind of trauma that doesn't just disappear when the shift ends. She also gets into the warning signs that often go unaddressed: compassion fatigue, burnout, and PTSD in the people we call the "first, first responders."And if you're wondering whether your center could actually build something like this—Tina has answers for that too. She walks through how peer teams are structured, vetted, and trained, why confidentiality is the foundation everything else is built on, and how agencies can develop real wellness programs without a big budget by tapping subject matter experts, neighboring fire and police departments, and community resources that are often free or low-cost.If you lead a comm center, supervise a team, or work the floor yourself, this episode is a reminder that taking care of your people isn't a luxury—it's part of the job.Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast/

What does it actually mean to be a great CTO—and why does it matter so much more than most people realize? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Kris Nichols, a seasoned Communications Training Officer with New River Valley 911 Authority, for an honest, practical conversation about what it takes to train the next generation of 911 dispatchers and build comm centers worth being proud of.Kris didn't set out to work in emergency telecommunications—but once she found it, she found her calling. She shares how that unexpected path led her to discover a passion not just for dispatching, but for training, and what it really means to be the person who guides new hires into one of the most demanding jobs there is. Spoiler: it's a lot more than grading calls. She breaks down the CTO role as it should be understood—mentoring, coaching, counseling, and modeling professionalism every single shift.The conversation gets into the practical stuff, too: how to design training programs that actually work for different kinds of learners, why having trainees build their own "dispatch bibles" and study resources leads to better retention, and the case for rotating trainees across trainers and shifts so they graduate confident and well-rounded—not just checked off a list. Kris also doesn't shy away from the harder conversations, like how to handle trainee mistakes when the stakes are life and death, and why that accountability matters.She's equally candid about the systemic gaps: the lack of national and statewide standardization in 911 and CTO training, the need for real promotion pathways and compensation that reflect the weight of the role, and how sharing homegrown tools—like her detailed ANI/ALI resource—can raise the bar for entire centers.If you're a CTO, trainer, supervisor, or dispatcher who wants to strengthen your training program and take the professionalism of your center seriously, this episode delivers the kind of real-world insight you can put to work right away.Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast/

How did someone "accidentally" fall into 911 dispatch and end up becoming one of its most passionate advocates for professional development? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Halcyon Frank, Director of Training and Development for the Denise Amber Lee Foundation, for a conversation that challenges how the industry thinks about continuing dispatcher education.Halcyon's path into dispatch training wasn't exactly planned, but it shaped a perspective that's hard to argue with: 911 is a true public safety career, and it deserves to be treated like one. She and Laurie get honest about the wild inconsistencies in dispatcher training across the U.S., where some agencies run 12 to 14-week academies and others offer a single day, or nothing at all. They talk about why ongoing training keeps getting deprioritized despite short staffing, tight budgets, and a workforce that's already stretched thin, and why that mindset is a problem the industry can't keep kicking down the road.The conversation gets practical fast. Halcyon breaks down how virtual training, micro-sessions, briefing room moments, and even two-minute videos can start building a culture that actually values learning—without requiring a budget overhaul or a full restructure. She also gets into why refresher training for seasoned dispatchers isn't optional, how "drift" from best practices happens quietly over time, and how individual telecommunicators can develop real subject matter expertise in crisis intervention, mental health, domestic violence, fire, EMS, and more—even when their agency isn't offering formal support.The episode closes with something worth sitting with: your education and your skills belong to you. No one can take them away. Whether you're brand new to a headset or you've been running a comm center for years, Halcyon makes a compelling case for taking ownership of your own growth—and why that investment pays off for everyone, including the people calling 911.If you work in dispatch, train dispatchers, or lead a communications center, this one will make you rethink what professional development can look like in your world.Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast/

What does it really take to excel behind the headset—and what does it take to build a team of people who can? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Wendy Lotman, Fire Communications Chief at Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, for a candid, wide-ranging conversation about what separates great 911 dispatchers from good ones, and what comm centers can do to find, train, and keep them.Wendy brings decades of experience across call taking, dispatching, supervision, and training in both Portland and Las Vegas—giving her a perspective that stretches from the headset all the way to the chief's office. She and Lori get into the qualities that define top performers (think resiliency, adaptability, and genuine coachability), the very real mental health toll of the job, and why overtime culture and burnout are problems the industry can't afford to ignore. Wendy shares practical ways dispatchers can protect their wellbeing—from staying connected to a life outside the comm center to actually using the EAP and peer support resources available to them.They also dig into recruitment: what hiring managers are really looking for, why video interviews say more than candidates realize, how customer-facing work experience translates to dispatch, and what "superstar applicants" do differently in an interview room. Spoiler—generic answers don't land.And if training is your world, this episode is for you. Wendy makes a compelling case for structured, documented training programs—not just for dispatcher confidence, but for liability protection and public trust—while being refreshingly honest about the obstacles: staffing shortages, tech failures, pressure to rush the process, and the chronic underappreciation of trainers and CTOs.Whether you're a dispatcher, a trainer, a CTO, a supervisor, or running a comm center, this one is packed with insight you can actually use.Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast/