TRAINING AND PERSONNEL COORDINATOR

Captain Gina Bowman began her career with the Montgomery Fire Department in 1986, as a Fire Dispatcher. In 1990 she was promoted to Sergeant, at which time she supervised other Fire Communications personnel. In 1996 she was promoted to Lieutenant/Assistant Commander in Fire Communications, where she served for the next nine years. In 2005, upon completion of the newly organized consolidated 911 Communications Center, she was promoted to Captain and made responsible for all training and certification of Emergency Communications personnel in NCIC, CPR, Public Safety Telecommunicator, and Emergency Medical Dispatch.

Captain Bowman is an active member of the Alabama State Chapter of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials, Inc. (APCO), where she served as President from 2004-2005. She is also a Basic Emergency Medical Technician and holds APCO Instructor Certificates for Public Safety Telecommunicator, Communications Center Supervisor, Fire Communications, Certified Training Officer, and Emergency Medical Dispatch. In addition, she is the ACJIC Terminal Agency Coordinator for the Department.

If additional information is needed, please feel free to contact her at (334) 240-4145 or by e-mail at gbowman@montgomeryal.gov

The training program for an Emergency Communications Operator is a minimum of six months in length and covers the topics further described below. At the end of the training period the Emergency Communications Operator is promoted to an Emergency Communications Operator II and has the skills to answer all types of phone calls and radio dispatch for one department (police or fire) without assistance. After they complete their formal training program they are then crossed trained to dispatch for the department not covered during their training program.

Training Hours
88 hours - Orientation and CAD
24 hours - Public Safety Telecommunicator
8 hours - CPR
32 hours - Emergency Medical Dispatch
808 hours - On the Job Training
960 hours - Total Training

Orientation
Orientation is used to provide new employees with the policies and procedures of our department. In the orientation process, trainees are introduced to our phone system, CAD system and function keys, as well as a broad range of general information. An introduction to the Police Radio and Fire Radio is presented further into the training process. Immediately following orientation, trainees are assigned a training officer.

Public Safety Telecommunicator Class
The Public Safety Telecommunicator Training class is used to further trainees’ learning experience in the public safety environment. This class provides specifics about the different types of calls that are received and how our department handles those calls.

CPR
Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is taught to all employees, prior to their taking the Emergency Medical Dispatch Course. The purpose of this training is to familiarize trainees with CPR and better prepare them for giving CPR related instructions in the blind environment of 911 call-taking.


EMD
The Emergency Medical Dispatch class provides training and certification in pre-arrival instructions during medical emergencies. These instructions can be life saving, and all employees are required to attend the EMD class. The study includes anatomy and physiology, liability exposure and stress management, as well as other pertinent information. The certification is valid for two years, and we offer several different classes during each year, in order for all personnel to maintain current certification.


On Job Training
After orientation, all training is led and monitored by the training officer. The six-month training period includes not only the above-referenced classes, but also offers guidance and hands-on experience in answering phones, code emergency calls, general information to the public, and use of the department’s two-way radio system.