What kind of training did 911 operator undergo?

The intense scrutiny of 911 calls in the Josh Powell case has many questioning the qualifications and training of the operators involved.

While officials won’t comment specifically on the Powell case, they are emphasizing the extensive training and supervision of all the officers working at the Pierce County Law Enforcement Support Agency.

“All of the staff here start out with four weeks of academics where they’re in the classroom doing bookwork. They also have a week of simulated calls,” said Jodi Maier, Supervisor with the Pierce County Law Enforcement Support Agency.

The trainees are then sent on to the “floor” where they are paired with a trainer for five weeks, taking calls under direct supervision.

After passing a skills assessment, the new officers are then assigned a formal duty and begin working on their own, according to Maier.

They remain under close supervision, evaluated every three months, paired with a mentor and working under probationary status for one full year.

While there has been criticism of the seeming disinterest and relevance of the questions asked by the 911 call taker in the Powell case, Maier says the communications officers are required to ask a number of questions during every call.

Called “basic information for dispatch” or “BID,” the list includes where, when, who, whether weapons are involved and whether there are any injuries.

A computer aided dispatch system allows the quick dispatch of the appropriate agency, in the Powell case the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

“Sometimes the customer doesn’t understand that even though I’m talking to you, someone else can be handling a situation for you even while you and I are having a conversation,” Maier said.