One of the essential components of establishing a viable Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce (TERT) program is to identify and train individuals who will be designated as Team Leaders. Under provisions of the APCO/NENA Standards for TERT Deployment, each deployed team should be accompanied by a Team Leader.

Required:

• Minimum of two years as a public safety telecommunicator (police, fire, medical)
• Required certifications, based on classification (police, fire, medical)
• TERT Basic Awareness course
• NIMS ICS 100, 200, 700 and 800

Preferred Prerequisites:

• Supervisory experience in a 911 communications center (i.e., CTO, shift supervisor, supervisor or manager)
• Previous deployment to a disaster area

Recommended:

• Intermediate Spanish for Telecommunicators
• Critical Incident Stress Management: Group and Peer
• FEMA COML course
• NIMS ICS 300 and 400

Meet your Instructor:  Jason Smith, ENP

Jason Smith, ENP is the 9-1-1 Operations Manager for the North Central Texas Emergency Communications District and has 24 years of service in 9-1-1 public safety. Jason oversees the NCT9-1-1 Operations team which is responsible for monitoring and compliance, public education, communications, and training for over 40 Emergency Communication Centers (ECCs). Jason holds his Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Master Telecommunicator license, is a past President for Texas NENA, and is the current Texas Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce state coordinator. Jason has been a member of the TX TERT state program for 15 years, has deployed once, and has overseen operations to three of the five TX TERT deployments.