Dispatch Training

All deputies assigned to the Communications Division must complete the Communications Training and Evaluation Program. After successful completion of the training program, a deputy’s responsibilities consist of call-taking and providing dispatching services for eleven agencies within Johnson County.

The Communications Training Program is 15 weeks long and consists of four phases. This intense training is under the direct supervision of a training officer, who provides immediate feedback and ensures that all calls for service are handled appropriately by the deputy in training.

This Training Program is designed to:

• Contribute to the timely delivery of public safety services by obtaining and disseminating information to law enforcement personnel in accordance with State laws and Divisional procedures.
• Contribute to the prompt response of public safety personnel to calls for service by dispatching the appropriate agency and by prioritizing calls for service in accordance with Divisional procedures.
• Contribute to the safety of field officers by properly appraising the nature of calls and by furnishing all pertinent information quickly and accurately to officers involved.
• Contribute to the arrest of wanted persons and recovery of stolen property by informing field units of criminal activities and by conducting computer inquiries in local and national databases.
• Provide for the written record of activities by preparing accurate and timely reports and logs.
• Contribute to the proper relay of messages and information to other law enforcement and public agencies throughout the nation by teletype, computers and radio equipment.

Training Program
Trainees must demonstrate acceptable proficiency before moving to successive phases of training.

Phase I (8 Weeks)
Primary Radio Dispatching (North Zone, South Zone and Olathe Zone)
The training officer will cover division policy and procedures and familiarize the trainees with the multiple computer systems and databases available to them. The trainee will also be exposed to several practical radio scenarios ranging from routine traffic stops to vehicle pursuits. Once the trainee demonstrates their understanding of the material and displays an acceptable level of competence manipulating the computer systems, they will move to the live dispatch floor. During the remaining weeks of Phase I the trainee will be responsible for dispatching primary zones, while being instructed and observed by the training officer.

Phase II (2 Weeks)
Secondary Radio Dispatching (North Zone/South Zone Secondary and Olathe Secondary)
The trainee will be exposed the secondary radio channel for two weeks.
The secondary radio channel is used by field officers for requesting various types of information. Routine tasks on this channel include but are not limited to: Checking subjects or vehicles for wants and warrants, criminal history and ordering tow trucks. This channel is used to minimize the radio traffic on the primary radio channel. This channel is at times also used as a back-up channel to the primary zone.

Phase III (4 Weeks)
Call-Taking
During this phase of training the trainee will be responsible for answering both emergency and non-emergency calls for service. The trainee will learn to interview citizens and collect information to determine the best course of action. The trainee will learn to enter the required information into the Computer Aided Dispatch System and route calls to the appropriate dispatcher for action by responding personnel.

Phase IV (1 Week)
Observation
At this phase the trainee should be able to effectively perform the daily task of a Communications Deputy with little or no assistance from their training officer. The observation week consists of the trainee rotating between radio zones and call-taking every four hours while on duty. The trainee will perform all tasks normally expected of a Communications Deputy. Trainees are evaluated weekly during this phase. Trainees will be released from training with a passing score on the final comprehensive test and approval by the Training Sergeant.