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Answering the Call
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The Public Safety Communications
Program
at Kwantlen Polytechnic University
A
Canadian First . . .
In 1990,
Kwantlen Polytechnic University introduced the first one-year Public Safety
Communications Program in Canada. Kwantlen made the cutting-edge decision
to launch the program because of a clear need for professionally selected and
trained public safety communicators whose expertise may mean the difference
between life and death. Rapid technological change, as well as greater social
and cultural diversity, have heightened the need for trained individuals who
can function successfully under considerable pressure.
This
full-time Kwantlen program provides the academic and practical skills graduates
need to enter this demanding and dynamic career. Students learn a combination
of practical and theoretical concepts, and practise them by using Kwantlen's
communications lab equipped with a variety of telecommunications apparatus and
incident-processing software.
Table of Contents
·
Public Safety
Communications
·
Career
Opportunities
·
Learning Goals
·
Faculty and Staff
·
Student Profile
·
Prerequisites
for Students
·
Curriculum -
First Semester
·
Curriculum -
Second Semester
·
Program Cost
·
Program
Inquiries
Public Safety Communications
The introduction of
Career Opportunities
Job opportunities for
Kwantlen's Public Safety Communications graduates are excellent. Since
1990, over 80 per cent of each graduating class has obtained employment in the
communications field. Most entry-level communications positions begin on a
part time basis and work into full-time positions. In
Learning
Goals
Public Safety
Communications at Kwantlen is an
intensive eight-month Certificate program, governed by four learning goals:
- Develop an understanding of the practical and
theoretical concepts which graduates will be expected to apply in
industry.
- Apply concepts through hands-on training with
various communications systems similar to those used in the field.
- Demonstrate comprehension of human behaviour
patterns and develop the interpersonal skills needed to effectively
manage crisis calls, relate to co-workers and supervisors and to cope
with stress.
- Learn through a wide variety of experiential
activities, oral and written presentations, field trips and agency
practicum placements.
Faculty
and Staff
The program's faculty
and staff have impressive experience in the key program areas. Program
instructors have experience in police, fire and medical communications, law,
human behaviour, and emergency preparedness. Courses are updated through
industry participation, consultations with the program's advisory committee,
instructors' professional development, and through procurement and use of
appropriate equipment for student use.
Student
Profile
While a desire to
help people is an important qualification, it is not enough to ensure success
in this demanding career. Public Safety Communicators must have excellent
multi-tasking abilities, to simultaneously manipulate telephones and radios
while thinking quickly and critically, making necessary decisions with limited
information. Communicators must have excellent listening skills, be assertive
but not aggressive, be able to maintain emotional control, and work well as
part of a team.
Students must be
prepared to work hard, participate actively in all facets of the program, show
enthusiasm and commitment, and be willing to accept constructive criticism to
attain the skills necessary for employment. Ideally, applicants will have some
experience in related fields such as victim's assistance or crisis management.
If you are interested
in this program, please plan to attend an Information Session.
Prerequisites
for Students *
*Selection
criteria subject to change.
To be considered for
admission into Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the program, the applicant
must:
- Complete and English Placement Test
(EPT) at Kwantlen Polytechnic University by contacting the Admissions
office for dates and times. Alternatively, we will also accept a score of
Level 4 or higher on the Language Proficiency Index exam or successful
completion of an English 1100 course from a post-secondary institution.
The L.P.I. exam is offered through the University of British Columbia.
More information is available via the Internet at: http://www.lpi.ubc.ca or
by calling the information line: 604-822-4146. Exam results must reach
our Admissions Office no later than April 15, so plan to take the test at
least two weeks prior to that date. There is a fee to write the L.P.I.
You will be asked to provide a copy of the receipt as proof of writing
the exam.
- Provide proof
of BC grade 12 or high school graduation or equivalent. Please refer to
the Kwantlen Polytechnic University calendar for further information.
- Have a basic
criminal records search completed within the last twelve months. Forms
are available through the any Kwantlen Admissions Office. Contact the
nearest Municipal Police or R.C.M.P. detachment for this service. There
is a fee as determined by the individual police agency.
- Demonstrate
computer keyboarding skills. Students require a minimum of 40 wpm, free
of errors and at a 5 minute timing to enter the program and will be
tested during the first week of classes. Weekly keyboarding labs and
assignments are integrated into the program. Students require 50 wpm free
of errors in order to graduate.
- Submit a resume
including work and volunteer experience.
- Submit three
letters of reference (not from relatives). Reference letters must be
signed, dated, and contain contact numbers.
- Submit a well
researched and composed 500 word typed essay on the job function of a
Public Safety Communicator.
If all these prerequisites have been met, the applicant will then be invited to: - Sit for an
interview (usually held in May or June)
- Participate in
a personality profile analysis (under review).
Total
fees for applicants to the program are approximately $350.
Upon satisfactory completion of the previous
items, the applicant must then:
- Those students
who wish to complete practicum placements in a police agency must undergo
extensive background screening. The RCMP and other police agencies will
require the applicant to provide a record of residence addresses and
places of employment for the past 10 years, a written declaration of any
criminal activities of the applicant, if any, and the names and addresses
of references who will be contacted by the police and interviewed about
the applicant's past criminal activities, if any. The clearance is
confidential. There is a fee for the clearance if required.
- Note: An audiometric
(hearing) test is not mandatory but is recommended as some agencies
require this to hire applicants. We can give you the locations of testing
centres in the Lower Mainland.
All
applicants will receive a letter acknowledging their applications. The
information/requirements are to be sent to:
Kwantlen Polytechnic University,
Cloverdale Campus,
Public Safety Communications Admissions Assistant,
12666 72nd Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3W 2M8
The
Admissions office accepts applications to the Program between November 1 and
March 31. All supporting documentation is due by April 15.
Applicants
must apply to the program on a yearly basis. Wait lists are not carried to the
next academic year. All prospective applicants should obtain a copy of the
Kwantlen Polytechnic University calendar for a complete outline of Kwantlen's
policies and procedures.
Curriculum
First
Semester September - December
o
PSCM 1100 - Call Processing
o
PSCM 1120 - Radio Communications
o
PSCM 1140 - Human Behaviour I
o
PSCM 1150 - Legal and Regulatory
Influences
o
PSCM 1400 - Emergency Planning
o
PSCM 1280 - Communications Lab 1
PSCM
1100 - Call Processing
Students will work in
cooperative teams to learn and practise call processing skills needed by communicators
for successful integration into public safety and related industries, using
both manual and automated systems. They will learn technical language used in
the industry and how agencies function.
PSCM
1120 - Radio Communications
Students will gain
competency through practise in simulated radio dispatching within a
communication centre team environment, applying radio protocol and procedures
to Industry Canada specifications. They will identify the technologies
(telephone, radio, and computer aided dispatch systems) used within the
communications industry in radio communications.
PSCM
1140 - Human Behaviour I
Students will analyze
and practise inclusive techniques for dealing with the elderly, young children,
the mentally and emotionally disadvantaged, and those members of our community
with language barriers. They will learn to recognize and deal effectively with
occupational, organizational, and event-related stress within themselves
through journal writing and personal reflection.
PSCM
1150 - Legal & Regulatory Influences
Students will examine
the legal and regulatory influences on primary responding public safety
agencies such as police, fire, and ambulance services. They will research federal
and provincial statutes, municipal by-laws, and common laws affecting the
public safety sector.
PSCM
1400 - Emergency Preparedness
Students will examine
emergency planning and preparedness regulations and procedures at the federal,
provincial and municipal level, with the focus on analyzing the interaction of
public safety agencies during a person-induced or natural disaster. They will
apply their knowledge of emergency planning to establish and prepare personal
strategies and equipment for themselves and their families.
PSCM 1280 - Communications Lab I
Students will learn
to operate computer aided dispatch (CAD) software and practise call taking and
dispatch scenarios in the communication lab. Students will also complete weekly
keyboarding tests to maintain and enhance their skills.
Second
Semester* January - May
*
Students must achieve 80% in exams and written assignments as well as
mastery of all applied components and have demonstrated consistent keyboarding
speed and accuracy of 45 wpm to achieve successful completion of all first
semester courses as a pre-requisite to entering second semester.
o
PSCM 1240 - Human Behaviour II
o
PSCM 1260 - Practicum
o
PSCM 1200 - Police Communications
o
PSCM 1300 - Fire Communications
o
PSCM 1500 - Emergency Medical
Dispatch
o
PSCM 1281 - Communications Lab II
PSCM
1240 - Human Behavior II
Students will further
study psychological disorders, social disobedience and victimization emphasized
from the perspective of public safety communicators. The student will apply
stress management techniques to deal with: critical incident stress, shiftwork,
media stress, and sleep disorders. Students will also reflect on and acquire
practical insights into different types of behaviours and their effects as they
practise interaction with a diverse group of callers.
PSCM
1260 - Practicum
Students will observe
and experience hands-on operations in a variety of public safety communications
centres. They will produce written reports on procedures, technologies and
organization used in each centre.
Students may have the
option of being placed outside of the Lower Mainland for their practicum. We
ask students to budget for out-of-town accommodations and travel expenses
during two weeks of practicum placement.
PSCM
1200 - Police Communications
Students will work in
a team environment to operate a simulated tri-service communications centre.
They will learn the protocols and techniques for police call processing and
radio dispatching through practical simulations, beginning at an entry level of
operational competency and working up to handling multiple incident scenarios.
PSCM
1300 - Fire Communications
Students will
identify the protocols and techniques for incident processing and dispatching
in the fire service. They will utilize procedures for WHMIS and TDG in the
context of fire exercises. Fire call processing, radio dispatching and incident
command will be practised in lab simulations. Students will work in a team environment
to operate a simulated tri-service communications centre by the end of the
course.
PSCM
1500 - Emergency Medical Dispatch
Students will learn
the protocols and techniques for incident processing and dispatching in
emergency medical situations. They will practise emergency medical call
assessment and radio dispatching in lab simulations in a team environment, and
will provide emergency medical telephone instruction. They will work together
to operate a simulated tri-service communications centre.
PSCM 1281 - Communications Lab II
Students will
continue to gain proficiency through practise in call taking and dispatch
scenarios in the communication lab. The addition of specialty dispatch labs
will challenge the class to push their skill levels even higher. The final exam
features “Day in the Life” tri-service communications simulations with industry
professionals.
Students must
demonstrate a consistent and accurate
50 wpm keyboarding speed to achieve a Certificate in Public Safety
Communications. An inexpensive home version of the computer
keyboarding program used can be purchased through the Cloverdale campus
bookstore.
Upon completion of
the program, a Public Safety Communications graduate will be able to:
- Apply to prospective employers with the
knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to function effectively as a
Public Safety Communicator.
- Qualify as an entry-level Police, Fire
or Medical Communications Operator (supported by in-house agency
training).
- Apply to become a member of
professional organizations: Association of Public Safety Communications
Officers (APCO) and / or National Emergency Number Association (NENA).
Program
Cost
The approximate cost
of the program including books, tuition, student fees and the purchase of a
headset is $7500. This program is eligible for student loans, awards,
scholarships and bursaries available at Kwantlen. Please contact Student Awards and Financial
Assistance
for further information.
Program Inquiries
Public Safety Communications Program
Kwantlen Polytechnic University
12666 72nd Avenue
Surrey, BC, V3W 2M8
- (604) 598-6118 - Program Coordinator
- (604) 598-6001 - Admissions Assistant
email:
tally.wade@kwantlen.ca Tally Wade, Public Safety Communications Program
Coordinator
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