OAKLAND COUNTY, Michigan – Oakland Community College will host free orientations on August 4 and August 6, 2015 as an introduction to the 911 Dispatch Academy. The fall 911 Dispatch Academy certification program will take place at OCC’s Auburn Hills Campus, September 22 through November 5, 2015.
Offered through the Oakland Police Academy, the entry-level seven-week program consists of 168 hours, which includes classroom instruction as well as hands-on simulator training. The 911 Dispatch Academy introduces the necessary skills and knowledge to work in a modern public safety communications center by teaching each student the responsibilities required of successful public safety communications professionals and providing basic hands-on training.
“The training classes were very informative and provided situations on what one can expect by sitting in the hot seat with the headset on,” said Blake Govan, a 2010 graduate of the program. “The 911 Dispatch Academy has provided the foundation for me on achieving my dreams of becoming a dispatcher. I landed a Police Dispatch position with the Wayne State University Police Department and have been there for four years.”
New for this fall, the 911 Dispatch Academy will feature the Omni-Comm Simulator, a dispatch simulation system that teams up students to answer calls, transfer them and walk them through crisis situations.
“As the first dispatch academy in Michigan, we put Oakland County on the map for advanced dispatch training. Students have come to us for over 15 years from across the Midwest and Canada,” said Mary Griffin, 911 Dispatch Training Coordinator.
In a field where it can take up to a year to get hired, and even longer to get certified, the 911 Dispatch Academy expedites the process for applicants. They receive the mandatory training in advance and are in courses with established dispatch agencies, which provide networking opportunities for students. Additionally, job career services are offered to all graduates.
“Enrolling at the OCC 911 Dispatch Academy was the best thing I have ever done. Within two weeks I had a job at the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office,” said 2015 graduate Jessica Murphy. “It was money well spent.”
To apply for the 911 Dispatch Academy, RSVP for one of two free, mandatory orientations on August 4, 2015 or August 6, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. You can reserve your spot by calling (248) 232-4220. Both orientations will be at the OCC Auburn Hills Campus CREST Facility, Room 114 at 2900 Featherstone Rd, Auburn Hills.
About OCC
With multi campus system throughout Oakland County, Oakland Community College is committed to providing academic and developmental experiences that allows each student to reach their full potential and enhance the diverse communities they serve. It offers degrees and certificates in approximately 100 career fields and university transfer degrees in business, science and the liberal arts. More than a million students have enrolled in the college since it opened in 1965. To learn more about OCC, visit oaklandcc.edu
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Media Contact: Bridget M. Kavanaugh | Marketing & Communications | T (248) 341-2020 | bmkavana@oaklandcc.edu