Course Description

The APCO Institute Fundamentals of Tactical Dispatch course is designed for telecommunicators who want to enhance their knowledge, skills, and abilities so they can ultimately serve as a member of a tactical/incident dispatch team. The course uses scenarios and practical exercises to explore the issues involved in working major events and responding to major incidents. Class work focuses on sharpening the skills needed to fulfill the role and responsibilities for tactical dispatch.

Topics include:

• The big picture: ICS, the communications unit, and tactical dispatch
• Basic knowledge necessary for a tactical dispatcher
• How tactical dispatchers prepare
• Pre-deployment preparations: Situational information relevant to the assignment
• Focus on radio communication
• Deployment
• Telephone systems
• Incident types
• Ongoing and continuing education

Classroom instruction is supplemented by practical exercises that help students apply the lessons to their own agency’s policies and procedures. Students not only learn topics relating to their individual performance but also learn how to work together in teams to manage events and incidents that require the coordination response of multiple agencies and multiple jurisdictions.

Required Free FEMA Independent Study Courses:

• IS-100: Introduction to the Incident Command System
• IS-200: Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response
• IS-700: An Introduction to the National Incident Management System