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The following are instructors schedule to teach public safety communications trainings during 2022. Course instructors are subject to change without prior notice. | |
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ALY ABDELGAWAD Lt. Aly Abdelgawad began his career in law enforcement as a dispatcher for the Belton Police Department. After graduating from the Blue River Police Academy, Aly was hired as a police officer for the city of Raymore. Early in his tenure, Aly was certified as a DARE officer and field training officer. He currently serves as commander over patrol. During his time on patrol, Aly began working with the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and currently serves as team coordinator. In 2013, he was named the CIT Officer of the Year and CIT Coordinator of the Year by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Course: Building Resiliency: Surviving Secondary Trauma |
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JASON BONNEY Jason Bonney is an assistant chief for the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District (CJC) in Blue Springs, Missouri. He has over 19 years of experience in fire/EMS and emergency management. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Crisis and Disaster Management and a master’s in public administration. Bonney is also credentialed as a Chief Fire Officer through the Center for Public Safety Excellence. Bonney has been the accreditation manager for more than 13 years and has successfully led CJC through three accreditation processes with the Commission on Fire Accreditation International with whom he also serves as a peer assessor. Course: Fire Accreditation |
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ANGELA L. CARUSO-YAHNE Angela L. Caruso-Yahne has over twenty years of experience as a first responder including work in EMS, law enforcement, disaster rescue, air medical communications, and military service. Before retirement from the Air Force Reserves at the rank of Senior Master Sergeant, she completed several combat-zone deployments as a member of an Aeromedical Crew. She is a Training Officer for the Overland Park (KS) Fire Department. Angela integrates safety, high-efficiency teamwork, critical-thinking for high-risk environments into civilian fire and EMS training. She is a frequent dynamic in-service education presenter for emergency medical personnel, military and civilian disaster responders, and peer support team members. Course: Crew Resource Management |
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KEVIN CAULEY Kevin Cauley is retired from the Leawood Police Department where he worked in various supervisory roles for 27 years and served as the deputy chief of police. He has received the police department's Distinguished Service Award, the Silver Valor Award from the KC Metro Chiefs and Sheriffs Association and the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police. He was also selected Officer of the Year by his peers for outstanding performance. Kevin has been involved in the Johnson County Communications Operations Committee and was the co-chair for the MARRS Committee. He was co-chair for the Regional Interoperability Committee and helped to develop the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for both the Johnson County Radio System and MARRS. Course: Metropolitan Regional Area Radio System |
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KIM COLGROVE Kim Colegrove is a veteran meditator with over 40 years of experience benefiting individuals and corporations across the country. Her corporate clients include: Garmin International, the National Court Reporters Association, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, United Way and more. In 2014, Colegrove lost her husband David to suicide, less than three months after he retired from a 30-year law enforcement career. Kim created The PauseFirst Project to honor her husband's memory and to help other first responders cope with stress and trauma. Course: Mindfulness and Meditation |
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ZACHARY DYKES Zachary Dykes is currently based out of Springfield, Missouri. Zach began his career in emergency communications in 2009 at the Barton County Sheriff's Office in Southwest, Missouri. He joined the Patrol in 2013, serving the citizens of Northwest Missouri for approximately 5 years before transferring to his home Troop in Southwest Missouri. Zach currently serves as the President of the Missouri Chapter of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (MOAPCO) and serves as the vice-chair of APCO's Young Professional's Committee. In addition to his day-to-day duties, Zach is a certified public safety communications instructor through the Missouri Professional Training Partnership. Course: Healthy Ideas Library with Various Instructors |
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TODD EPPERSON Todd Epperson is the lead maritime security specialist and risk analyst for the United States Coast Guard’s Sector Upper Mississippi River (SUMR). Located in St. Louis, Missouri, SUMR’s area of responsibility encompasses 11 states throughout the Upper Midwest and includes over 2,200 miles of commercially navigable waterways on the Upper Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois rivers and their tributaries. Todd is a certified type-3 maritime transportation system recovery unit leader. His experience includes Hurricane Harvey response in Corpus Christi, Texas; the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis; Mississippi River high water events of 2011, 2013 and 2015 and various other incidents. Course: Coast Guard Emergencies & Lessons Learned from a CCTA Exercise |
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FRED FARRIS In August of 2017, Fred Farris was appointed as the Chief of Police for the city of Goddard, Kansas, a rapidly growing suburb of Wichita. He serves as the training committee chair for the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police and is on the board of directors for the Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center. Chief Farris began his career in 1990 with the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department. He also served 20 years on the Lenexa Tactical Unit, supervising the team for 10 years. Chief Farris has been the board of directors president for the Heartland Tactical Officers Association since 2008. Course: Excited Delirium |
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CHRIS FISCHER Acknowledged for 30 plus years of success in service-driven positions, with 24 years if experience in leadership roles, Chris Fischer provides independent consulting, organizational development and personnel development for public safety communications agencies and organizations across the country. This work includes serving as a subject matter expert in communications and call center reviews and serving as an expert witness for the State of Washington in pending litigation. Chris previously served as director of Valley Communications Center in Kent, Washington. She is also a Life Member of APCO International, who has served the association in a multitude of capacities, including participation as a member of APCO's Project 33 Committee and a member of APCO's Project Locate Committee. Course: Foundation Supervisory Training |
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JEANE FRACASSA (retired) After 37 years with the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department, Jeanie Fracassa retired in July 2018. During her career in communications, she was a calltaker, dispatcher, supervisor, and training and staff development supervisor. During her years of service, Jeanie received the Meritorious Service Award, seven special unit citations, 16 letters of appreciation, seven chief’s letters of commendation, five bureau letters of commendation and a good-conduct one-star ribbon. Her passion for her work shone through many times in her career, as she was involved in projects such as the department’s Quality Assurance program, implementation of new technology and public outreach. Course: APCO PST1 Basic Telecommunicator |
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HALCYON FRANK Halcyon Frank is the founder of The Dispatch Lab, a emergency communications training and consulting firm that aims to help improve training in the dispatch industry. She has worked in the emergency communications center for over 7 years and has dispatched for law enforcement, fire, and EMS. She has spent much of this time training new employees and developing training curricula and resources and is passionate about supporting those behind the console. Halcyon holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Management and Sociology and a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Education: Training and Development. She also holds the Emergency Number Professional certification through NENA. Course: Healthy Ideas Library with Various Instructors |
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AMBER GRIFFIS Amber Griffis began working in the financial industry in 2002 after graduating with honors from Bradley University in Illinois. In 2011 she joined Merrill Lynch, where she focuses on providing retirement planning services to individuals, families and businesses. Griffs holds the Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM (CRPC®) designation, as well as the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification, awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. She is also a member of the Financial Planning Association and often leads wealth management seminars for various organizations. Course: Better Money Habits |
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Mid-America Regional Council |
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