From: **********
Sent: Friday, February 17, 2012 6:50 AM
To: Info@CritiCall911.com
Subject: Thank you
To whom it may concern,

I just participated in a testing session with the ******  Police for a position as a Dispatcher. I have 6 1/2 years experience in this field. I have been actively looking for a new job in this same field. In the process, I have taken numerous different tests. For the first time I tested with the Criticall software system. I have never been impressed with testing….until yesterday! I believe that you have hit the nail on the head with this testing system. It covered ALL of the areas that are necessary for a successful Dispatcher. I was thrilled to see a spelling section (one of my pet peeves). Thank you for providing a program that should be used by ALL agencies in their hiring process for Dispatchers.

I normally don’t take the time to write to a company, but felt this time it was warranted. My husband told me I should be a representative for your company since I came home so excited about the program. I wish you success and hope to see this type of testing at the remainder of the positions I apply for.

H**** P****
____________________________

Thank you, HP! We truly appreciate your taking time to share your feedback with us.
We wish you all the best in your career!

NECI, a company providing 9-1-1 employees of all levels training and certification, offers discounted services to U.S. military veterans. 

From the NECI website:

9-1-1 Veterans Initiative

Click on military seal for details

NECI will provide any veteran with any 9-1-1 national certification course
for only $25.00 per course. This is $100 savings per course.
9-1-1 Basic Certification – EMD Certification – Fire Communications – CTO

NECI is a Biddle Consulting Group and CritiCall partner.

The following is quoted directly from http://www.911dispatch.com/info/QandA3.html. 

Q. How much does it cost to train a dispatcher?

A. I think the question you’re really asking is, “How much did we spend when a dispatcher leaves just after we finished training him/her?” Well, the basic question is pretty simple to figure out, based on your local pay rates– we’ve used the national average from our Job Openings page and training period of six months–plug in your own cost figures.

• Pay of the dispatcher in training x 6 months = $14,268
• Pay of trainer = $14,981 (+5% bonus)
• Pay for dispatcher to fill empty position of trainer = $21,402 (time and one-half overtime)
• Miscellaneous overtime for trainer = $983 (2 hours per week)
• Miscellaneous supplies (books, binders, etc.) = $100
• Supervisor admin time = $1,081 (2 hours per week, +10% pay step)

Total =$52,815

Note that this does not include the cost of overtime to fill the empty position the trainee will eventually fill. It also doesn’t include the pay of anyone assising in the training, such as firefighters, officers or paramedics.As mentioned above, if a trainee drops out after the training is completed, you’ll really end up adding this person’s cost to the cost of the next person you train. If you end up training four people to get one dispatcher who stays on, you’ve spent over $200,000 for one position. Yikes!

Find out how CritiCall can help your agency save money in the dispatcher hiring process. 

Request more information today!

CalNENA Conference
January 30, 2012
San Diego, CA
Presentation: Jim Kuthy, Ph.D.

NENA Conference
June 11-12, 2012
Long Beach, CA

APCO International Conference
August 7-9, 2012
Minneapolis, MN

“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” the last speech given by Martin Luther King,  was shared in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 3, 1968. The next day King was assassinated. Here’s an excerpt:

Something is happening in Memphis; something is happening in our world. And you know, if I were standing at the beginning of time, with the possibility of taking a kind of general and panoramic view of the whole of human history up to now, and the Almighty said to me, “Martin Luther King, which age would you like to live in?” I would take my mental flight by Egypt…Greece…Roman Empire…the Renaissance…I would come on up even to 1863, and watch a vacillating President by the name of Abraham Lincoln finally come to the conclusion that he had to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. But I wouldn’t stop there…Strangely enough, I would turn to the Almighty, and say, “If you allow me to live just a few years in the second half of the 20th century, I will be happy.” from “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” by Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I Have a Dream”, perhaps King’s most well known speech,  was delivered in Washington, DC,  August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. King was there participating in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The March and “I Have a Dream” were instrumental in the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Here’s a portion of his inspirational words:

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today! from “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr. [Audio and Full Text of "I Have a Dream"]

In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, our office will be closed on Monday, January 16.

CritiCall helps agencies hire emergency call-takers and dispatchers more effectively, saving time and money. TactiCall will help these same agencies train these newly hired dispatchers and call-takers.

Last month Mike Callen, our Product Division Director, was a guest on the popular internet radio show “VoIP Users Conference”  hosted by Randy Resnick.  Mike was invited by Gerd Graumann, President of Speech Technology Group, to share how we are using text to speech (TTS) technology in TactiCall.

 Here is an excerpt from the radio show:

 To listen to the full show, please visit:

http://recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-22622/TS-568140.mp3

 About TactiCall Dispatcher Training Software

CritiCall Testing Software is proud to announce the upcoming release of its new 100% self-guided, customizable, TRAINING program!  TactiCall Training Software for dispatchers and call-takers focuses on two very important job domains that are critical to maintaining public safety:

Speech

• Maintaining Voice Clarity
• Using Proper Volume
• Speaking at a Proper Pace
• Selection of Appropriate Words

Protocols

• Following Your Agency’s Step-Wise Processes
• Responding to Verbal Cues
• Being Consistency in Application Instructions

TactiCall Training Software is:

• Self-Administering
  Requires no supervisor oversight
• Self-Scoring
  Built-in voice recognition software listens for scored key words
• Customizable
  Create any number of realistic training call scenarios
• Life-Like
  Dispatchers hear callers and must respond appropriately

 Call (800) 999-0438 ext. 124 or 139 for more information.

 [Learn more about Speech Technology Group - one of our partners for TactiCall]

Our office will be closed on Monday, December 26th and January 2nd.

We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a truly happy New Year!

Here are the answers to our most asked questions:

“Is there a practice version of CritiCall? Can I download the demo?”

There is no “practice test” for CritiCall and the software is ONLY available to actual emergency response agencies or verified private dispatch companies. However, there is a free keyboarding test available at: www.opac.com. It will help you check your keyboarding speed and accuracy.

Also you may want to try the Data Entry Practice Test created by Karen Freeman-Smith. Ms. Freeman-Smith developed this for her personal use and as a resource for her blog readers. While CritiCall or Biddle Consulting Group did not participate in it’s development, applicants may find this to be a helpful practice tool.

“What is the CritiCall test like?”

CritiCall is what is known as a work sample test, in that it simulates a generic dispatch environment, but does so in a way that does not require job specific knowledge. In other words, CritiCall software puts you into situations that require the same knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for success in the modern dispatch environment. The CritiCall software contains over 20 different tests, however each agency will select only the most appropriate tests for their positions. Successful completion of the CritiCall tests requires mastery of skills and abilities such as:

• multitasking
• prioritization
• map reading
• memory recall
• comprehension
• probability
• data entry
• decision-making

The CritiCall testing process will take, on average, between one and three hours to complete. Many people find that the test gives such a good, realistic job preview that—if they are not truly skilled enough for the job—they realize they simply are not cut out for this kind of work. The CritiCall program allows agencies and applicants to find the best match. Due to the stressful working environment, and the multitasking demands of the position, many agencies have found that new dispatchers quit the first week on the job after completing an in-depth and costly training academy. By offering the CritiCall tests not only are agencies able to determine whether or not the applicants are sufficiently skilled, but also applicants—themselves—are able to determine whether or not dispatching would be a satisfying career for them.

Also, take a look at this video.

“”Do you have any recommendations on how to study for the Map Reading portion?”

One suggestion is to practice giving instructions to someone else from a very simple map. For example, using the terms “left” and “right,” as well at “North,” “East,” “South,” and “West” (as shown in the legend below), describe the quickest route from Point A to Point B on the map shown below. You can make up additional maps to practice at http://maps.google.com/maps.

Note that the maps in the CritiCall test contain only very basic elements, such as streets, intersections, bridges, rivers, and railroad tracks. They do not contain more complete features such as contour lines (showing elevation).

“Where can I found out more information about becoming a dispatcher?”

For training and industry information, we recommend you investigate the websites and offerings of the industry’s leading associations:

• APCO International – Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials
• NAED – National Academies of Emergency Dispatch
• NENA – National Emergency Number Association
• The Academy – South Bay Regional Public-Safety Training Consortium

South Bay Consortium Website

It’s no secret that recent years have been difficult for organizations in both the public and private sectors. Recent reports are showing that private companies are hiring again and the economy is slowly recovering. The rebound is a little slower for government agencies, though. Resources are still lean but the demand for their services is high.

When resources are scarce, people tend to be most creative and innovative. Take a look at the South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium in the South San Francisco Bay Area, and you’ll see an example of this. The South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium created a program in conjunction with CritiCall Testing Software to help public safety agencies substantially cut costs and time in their testing and recruiting process.

Traditionally agencies were doing their own employment testing.  Doing so required that the agencies purchase the tests, provide a venue, handle the registration, provide the staff to proctor the test (typically overtime) and absorb all the costs to do so. Quite often, several hundred applicants would register to take the tests and a much smaller number would show up. This resulted in a lot of wasted resources.  Other times, agencies have been overrun with applicants that could not be supported at their testing venue, or within the time allocated.

The South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium went to the different agencies and said, “We can do the testing for you and charge the applicant for the exam. Rather than the agency picking up the tab, the applicant can do that.  Because the applicant will leave with a “scoring certificate” that he or she can shop around to each agency to which an application is placed, it is a win-win-win for all of us.”

Here’s what happened…

What the South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium found was that because they charged the applicant for the exam, several things occurred:

1. The applicants showed up – they didn’t fail to appear – because they had made an investment.
2. The applicants came more prepared for the assessment because of that investment.
3. The scores that the applicants achieved were higher than those previously earned.
4. Most importantly, there was a substantial savings to the agency.  San Jose Police Department, the first agency to try this testing model, saved nearly a quarter of a million dollars in just the first test administration alone by having the South Bay Public Consortium handle test registration, administer, proctor and score the test.

What about the applicant?

Something else they discovered – the applicants liked it. Even though they were now paying a fee to take the exam, they benefited from it.  The old way meant that the applicant had to take a separate exam for each agency. Under this model, they took one exam and received a certificate that was good for multiple participating agencies.  This meant a savings in time, gas, childcare, and other costs because the applicant only had to drive to one testing location instead of multiple ones.

Today…

The South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium now offers standardized, validated cost effective solutions for public safety pre-employment assessment and recruiting. The Academy manages training, certification and testing for the following public safety positions:

• Public Safety Dispatcher
• Police Officer
• Corrections Officer
• Probation Officer
• Firefighter

CritiCall, our public safety dispatcher testing program, has partnered with the South Bay Public Safety Training Consortium in offering the dispatcher pre-employment testing. CritiCall tests dispatchers and call taker applicants for the critical skills and abilities necessary for success for this stressful, demanding position.

Do you represent a San Francisco public safety agency looking for an innovative solution for saving pre-employment testing dollars?

To find out more information or to join the South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium, contact:

Libby Flores
South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium
3095 Yerba Buena Road
San Jose, CA 95135
(408)270-6458
www.theAcademy.ca.gov

Are you interested in the consortium model but you’re not located in the San Francisco Bay Area?

If you are not from the San Francisco Bay Area but are interested in the consortium model for your agency, contact:

Michael Callen, Director: Product Division
Biddle Consulting Group, Inc.
193 Blue Ravine Road Ste. 270
Folsom, CA 95630
(916)294-4250
www.criticall911.com