I've been in the public safety communications realm for 25 years, first as a front line 911 emergency communications specialist and for then for nearly 5 as the operations manager of DPS-Augusta RCC, at the end of 2025 I was promoted to Director.
The last few years I've tried my hand at teaching or presenting at conferences or training classes. Topic vary from tips on becoming a new manager, Silver Alerts & Amber Alerts, Weapons Restriction Orders, Extreme Risk Protection Orders aka Red Flag Law, and other various topics.
In April 2025 I made two 5 hours round trips on Tuesday and Thursday of the same week to the New Hampshire Emergency Dispatchers Association annual conference to present two very different classes.
On Tuesday fellow Operations Manager from DPS Houlton Jessica Milliken and I presented our class on Becoming a New Manager in a communications center. We also presented this same class at the APCO International Conference in Baltimore, Maryland in July.
On Thursday myself, and my boss as well as the director and OM from Lewiston/Auburn 911 presented an After Action presentation on the Lewiston Mass Shooting incident from 2023. We had presented this last November at the Atlantic APCO conference in Portland, Maine and we presented it a 3rd time in May 2025 at the Maine NENA Conference. Each time I present this, it helps cope with the difficulties that I'm still hanging on with from that time.
I never thought of myself as someone who would be in this role and the more I do it the more comfortable that I get. I think I'm going to keep at this, and maybe when I'm able to retire at age 55 from my current role I will become one of those traveling trainer types.
Until Next Time!
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