Management & Supervision

This session offers practical strategies to improve recruitment and retention in 911 dispatch centers. Learn how to attract the right candidates, support new hires, and build a workforce culture that keeps top talent.

Public safety organizations rely on strong partnerships between sworn and civilian leaders to fulfill their mission to protect and serve the community. However, differences in training, background, and organizational culture can sometimes create divides between these groups, weakening collaboration and operational efficiency.
This session, “”One Team, One Mission: Uniting Sworn and Civilian Leaders,”” addresses the critical need to bridge these gaps and build cohesive leadership teams.
Presenters Anna Trindade, Fire Telecommunications Coordinator, and Bryan Carr, Fire Chief, both of the Stockton Fire Department, will share their experiences leading from different sides of the badge to foster a culture of teamwork, communication, and mutual respect.
Attendees will explore the root causes of misunderstandings between sworn and civilian personnel and learn practical techniques for strengthening professional relationships across these roles. Topics will include communication best practices, fostering mutual trust, leadership styles that transcend organizational silos, and real-world examples of successful sworn-civilian partnerships.
Designed for leaders at all levels—whether managing dispatch centers, patrol units, fire services, or administrative divisions—this session provides actionable tools and insights to help attendees champion a “one team” culture within their own organizations.
Participants will leave better equipped to build trust, empower their teams, and lead with unity of purpose, ensuring stronger, more resilient public safety operations.

Managing a PSAP is a wild ride—part leadership, part crisis management, and part wondering how you ended up in charge. This interactive panel brings together PSAP Managers from across California to share real experiences, challenges, successes, and hard-earned lessons from the front lines of leadership. Whether you’re a current manager looking for solidarity, a supervisor considering the next step, or a dispatcher wondering why your boss drinks so much coffee, this session offers insight, connection, and maybe even a little group therapy. You are not alone—so let’s talk about it.

This presentation will build upon Performance Management in the PSAP and discuss CC-WFM principles and their specific application to the call center environment. Using CC-WFM, we will identify the Key Performance Indicators (Service Level, Workload, Call Processing Time, and Staffing) that are shared by all PSAPs. The session will then discuss the use of an Ehrlang calculator, and its use for analyzing historical data, developing strategies to respond to current trends, and facilitate in the development of forecasting models. The session will conclude with a diagram or template that the audience member can use to develop their own KPIs that may be specific to their agency or used to manage a different work process other than 9-1-1.

This presentation will discuss Universal Management Principles (Performance Management, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), and Call Center – Workforce Management) and how they can be specialized and applied to the call center environment, specifically a 9-1-1 center. This presentation will take the audience member from the broad Performance Management principles to the more specific and relevant Call Center Workforce Management. Call Center Workforce Management (CC-WFM) is a global performance management set of processes designed to instill efficiencies in call center operations. The facilitator has been working with CC-WFM principles for well over fifteen years; however, it has only recently been introduced to PSAPs by one of its (PSAP) major vendors. It is the intent of the facilitator to educate the audience member in whichever leadership role (Director, Shift Manager, or Supervisor) they currently occupy in the PSAP; how CC-WFM can be used to facilitate communication with their direct reports, make a decision upon purchasing a Performance Management System software, or developing their own Performance Management System.

Most people know or have heard of PMI® Project Management but most haven’t heard of INCOSE® Systems Engineering. Yet we all know a project won’t be successful if there isn’t a strong technical leader standing next to that project manager. It’s that technical person who’s been around the block that knows what details must be considered for a system upgrade, replacement, or change to be succeed. We’ve all learned it through the school of hard knocks and past experience. But would you believe? Just as there’s a PMBOK for PM’s, there’s an SEBOK (body of knowledge) for technical leads – and once you know this, you’ll wish you would have known about it sooner!

Dispatch centers are the backbone of public safety—and yet, too many are suffering from toxic culture, low morale, and chronic burnout. In this powerful and practical session, former dispatch administrator, nationally recognized change management expert, and best-selling author Jacob Green, will walk participants through a proven roadmap for culture transformation in a communications center environment. Drawing on real-world experience turning around struggling centers, this session will empower dispatch leaders with the tools to rebuild their team’s trust, communication, and pride.
Participants will explore how to identify the root causes of cultural decline, reestablish shared purpose, and implement systems that foster accountability, excellence, and mutual respect. Through interactive discussion and actionable approaches, attendees will leave with the confidence to lead meaningful change—no matter their title or role.

“Not long ago, this Stanislaus Regional 911 center was in free fall. Plagued by high turnover, low morale, and a toxic work environment that left employees feeling disconnected and unmotivated. The agency was losing talent at escape velocity, struggling to retain those who were critical to its mission. But through bold leadership, intentional cultural shifts, and a relentless commitment to its Elevate philosophy, the center transformed from a workplace people fled to a destination where they wanted to stay and thrive.

This is a discussion about that transformation. Like a space mission, the turnaround required recalibrating systems, overcoming inertia, and correcting course mid-flight. Participants will explore the key initiatives that fueled the turnaround, including:

Escape Velocity: Breaking free from toxic habits and mindsets that kept the center stuck.
Mission Control Leadership: Establishing strong, accountable, and supportive leadership that inspires trust and engagement.
Crew Cohesion: Building a workplace culture where teamwork and shared purpose are non-negotiable.
Adaptive Navigation: Implementing feedback loops and continuous improvement to keep the agency on course.
Sustaining Orbit: Maintaining momentum and ensuring the center doesn’t fall back into old patterns.

Whether your agency is struggling to retain employees, suffering from low morale, or simply looking for ways to elevate its culture, this course will provide real-world strategies to help launch your workplace into a new era of excellence. Because at the end of the day, success isn’t just about making it to the stars, it’s about making sure your team wants to join you for the journey.”

“In the high-stress, fast-paced world of 911 communications, teamwork isn’t just important—it’s essential. Effective supervisors must understand both individual and team strengths to optimize performance, improve resilience, and foster a culture of trust, efficiency, and collaboration.
This session provides a practical, strengths-based leadership framework designed specifically for 911 leaders to identify and leverage the unique strengths of their team members. When supervisors harness Character Strengths effectively, they can reduce burnout, increase engagement, and enhance decision-making under pressure—all critical elements for success in emergency communications.
A key takeaway from this session is the C.A.L.M. Check-in Technique, a structured approach to building stronger, trust-based relationships within high-performing teams. By implementing this tool, leaders will learn how to balance individual strengths with
team cohesion, ensuring their team functions effectively—even in the most intense situations.
Supervisors will leave with personalized insights into their leadership strengths, an understanding of how to apply strengths-based strategies in a high-pressure 911 environment, and a customized strengths profile to immediately put into action.”