Va. County 911 Dispatchers Benefit From New Training Simulator

Aug. 21--TAZEWELL, Va. -- The new 911 Dispatcher Training Simulator that the Tazewell County Sheriff's office introduced last month has been paying dividends in terms of training new dispatchers in the kind of multi-tasking that all dispatchers need. However, the new simulator has also been a good tool for veteran dispatchers, according to Derrick Ruble, 911 Director for the Tazewell County, Va. Sheriff's Office.

"This is the first 911 Simulator in the region," Ruble said. "It allows a student or a new dispatcher to undergo training independently on their own or to be monitored by an instructor who is also on the system."

The sheriff's office received a $14,700 grant to acquire the system came from the Virginia E-911 Services Board, Ruble said. He said the sheriff's office added some gear that the department already had and used a vacant office in the sheriff's headquarters in Tazewell to provide a secure location for students to practice and veteran dispatchers to focus their skills.

"All we had to do was buy the paint to paint the office," Ruble said. "The system is interactive. An instructor can add background sounds simulating gunshots or a fight and observe how the student, new dispatcher or veteran dispatcher responds." He said that anyone using the simulator can be evaluated through both quizzes and practical experience.

"This is the only training simulator in southwest Virginia," Ruble said. "This simulator will help improve dispatcher training and allow supervisors to correct any deficiencies noted in current dispatchers."

Ruble said that the Tazewell County sheriff's office has 24 dispatchers on site.

-- Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com

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