NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:  Tuesday, March 9, 2004

HARTFORD POLICE DISPATCHERS RECEIVING
ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING

(HARTFORD, Connecticut) March 9, 2004 — The Hartford Police Department is hosting a dispatch training program aimed at improving service for the city’s 9-1-1 callers and better protection for responding officers.  The two day training program, entitled "Advanced Law Enforcement Dispatch Class", will be conducted by Power Phone for fifteen (15) of the department's communications personnel, and is being held from Tuesday, March 9, through Wednesday, March 10, 2004, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Hartford Police Academy, 101 Pearl Street, Hartford..

The media will is invited to observe the training on Wednesday, March 10, 2004, at 3:00 p.m., at the HPD Training Academy, 101 Pearl Street, Hartford.

The two-day training program covers various incidents that police dispatchers frequently encounter on the job — such as domestic violence, suicide, wireless callers, and workplace violence.  The course teaches students how to properly question callers in police-related calls. The focus is on gathering proper information so that responding officers do not enter a scene “blind.”

The instructor for the program is George Deuchar, PowerPhone’s Director of Training. A retired 24-year veteran of law enforcement, Deuchar has trained over 10,000 public safety professionals in police dispatch, domestic violence awareness, suicide intervention, and Homeland Security issues.

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About PowerPhone:   Founded in 1984, PowerPhone is a recognized leader in emergency communications management. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower public safety professionals to manage calls for service. The company has trained more than 100,000 dispatchers representing all 50 U.S. states and more than a dozen foreign countries. PowerPhone is the manufacturer of Total Response® Computer Aided Call Handling™ Software, and conducts command and control center assessments for public and private call centers.

Contact:   Nancy Mulroy, Public Information Officer, Hartford Police Department,  (860) 543-8746
Visit www.hartford.gov for more Hartford Police News