The students complete the APCO Public Safety Telecommunicator I course, which is designed by the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and delivered by a certified APCO trainer.  This course provides an overview of public safety communications including call processing techniques, terminology and technology, radio communications and liability issues.  *This is a PASS or FAIL course.  Upon successful completion, students will receive certification from the APCO Institute.  Successful completion means:  1) receiving a passing grade on class assignments;  2) meeting minimum attendance requirements as set out by APCO;  and 3) by achieving at least 80% on the final exam.

This course is designed to introduce students to the law in Canada.  A brief history of the development of Canada’s legal system and an overview of the sources and divisions of law set the stage for an examination of the Constitution and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  A thorough examination of the courts and the roles of those in the courts give students insight into the operation of the legal system.  Students are introduced to tort law, family law, criminal law, and administrative law.  Legislation related to emergency dispatchers is introduced.  This course is meant to give students a general understanding of how laws are defined, created, implemented, and interpreted to give them a strong foundation to build upon in their core legal courses.  

This subject allows students to gain skills and increase knowledge in computer applications and programs used in the call centre sector. Students learn keyboarding through guided, computer-assisted instruction with an aim to improving accuracy and speed. To be successful in this course, students must achieve 25 net words per minute. This subject enables students to use the Windows operating system for file management.

Students will gain insight into the world of customer service.  They will develop problem solving skills, and formulate strategies for dealing effectively with a diverse range of customers. Students will discuss the relationship between empowerment, communications, motivation, and leadership in customer retention and recovery.

Ethics was once defined as what one would do when nobody else was looking. In today’s work environment, ethics receives greater attention with corporate and political scandals and leadership failure being the most notable examples in the public eye. All public service employees require an appropriate appreciation of ethics and an understanding of the process behind correct and ethical decision making for important day-to-day decisions not always defined by the law or organizational policy.

Communications for Law Enforcement focuses on the enhancement of communication skills frequently used in law enforcement.  In this course, students complete forms, reports, essays, business letters, resume, review basic grammar/spelling rules and present a presentation.  Students complete exercises that familiarize them with professional communication practices and proper required skills.

The study of psychology helps students understand why people think and act as they do. Topics include the biological bases of behaviour, perceptual processes, learning, motivation, emotion, psychological disorders and states of awareness. Students examine psychology concepts to better understand psychological adaptation and the causes and consequences of human behaviour.

This subject is a continuation of COMP 1383 (Computer/Keyboarding Skills I).  Students will continue working toward improving accuracy and increasing speed by practising keyboarding skill-building drills, timed writings, and memorization techniques. To be successful in this course, students must achieve 35 net words per minute. Students will continue to gain skills and increase their knowledge regarding computer applications.  Students will apply their keyboarding and Word 2007 skills to create various professional documents including several formats of a resume which will effectively capture a prospective employer’s interest.

Students complete the APCO Fire Service Communications course, designed by the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO), and delivered by a certified APCO trainer. This course provides an overview of fire service communications including organizational structure, fire behaviour, fire apparatus and terminology, computer-aided dispatch, hazardous materials and the National Incident Management System. This is a PASS or FAIL course. Upon successful completion, students will receive certification from APCO Institute.  Successful completion means: 1) receiving a passing grade on class assignments;  2) meeting minimum attendance requirements as set out by APCO; and 3) achieving at least 80% on the final exam.

This in-depth course prepares students to develop individual and team effectiveness through group work and analysis.   Students learn various strategies regarding personalities and how people communicate and learn differently based on their “Personality Dimensions”.  This course has components of group work, presentations, essays, lectures and exercises to evaluate their skills and abilities.

Students explore the concepts of wellness and how to provide practical strategies to develop a healthy lifestyle. Through lectures, group discussions, practical experience and self-evaluation, students explore issues such as stress management, nutrition, physical fitness and self-responsibility. Students learn strategies to develop, design and implement effective personal fitness programs.

This course has been designed to assist students in further developing their abilities to effectively evaluate information and to problem solve. This is a research course form a consumer’s point of view.  Students will develop skills to detect misinformation and skills in applying reliable information.  Research skills will be developed by learning the essentials of social science research, practicing how to locate and evaluate research, and through practical experience in applying the information gathered.  Students will also be introduced to job searching skills and researching positions in their field.

This course introduces students to contemporary sociological thinking and the theories of social behaviour. Using sociological concepts and perspectives, students examine social inequalities, social interactions, collective behaviour and other areas related to Canadian society and culture.

This course provides students with an understanding of the law, policies and procedures that are specific to police call takers. Students apply knowledge and skills to given simulated situations.  The responsibilities of police officers, communicators and supervisors are addressed along with liability issues and police service policy.

This course focuses on the terminology, structures and functions of the skeletal, muscular, nervous, respiratory, reproductive, and cardiac systems. This will prepare students for applying critical thinking skills to the practical components of emergency medical dispatching.

This course explores a variety of call centre environments. The differences and similarities of emergency versus non-emergency call centres will be examined. Students will be introduced to behavioural event interviewing, career planning strategies, effective resumé development, types of pre-employment testing, effective work etiquette and professionalism.  Guest speakers will further prepare students for their career choices.  

This course is a continuation of Computer/Keyboarding Skills II.  Students continue working toward improving accuracy and increasing speed by practising keyboard skill-building drills, completing timed writings and listening skill exercises, and through memorization techniques. To be successful in this course, students must achieve 40 net words per minute. Students will use the computer as a tool for manipulating data and develop a basic understanding of the fundamental principles of database programs that are used in the call centre sector.

Students are introduced to basic concepts of emergency management as practiced in Ontario and across Canada.  The course includes the province of Ontario’s Basic Emergency Management (BEM) certification course curriculum addressing the core components (mitigation, prevention, preparedness, response and recovery) of emergency management.  Instructed by a provincially certified Basic Emergency Management (BEM) facilitator, students meeting the provincial requirements will be given the opportunity to attain provincial certification in Basic Emergency Management.

General education courses strengthen students' essential employability skills, such as critical analysis, problem solving, and communication, in the context of an exploration of topics with broad-based personal and/or societal importance.

Elective general education courses appear in your program of study as GNED 0000. This is called a “placeholder.” This placeholder is replaced by an actual course that you will select from a list of available "elective" general education courses when you register in the relevant semester.

Please note that the type and number of elective courses available will vary from semester to semester and from year to year.

This course has been designed on the provincially approved curriculum as set out by the Ministry of Community Safety & Correctional Services.  It will provide the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities required to write the standardized provincial test for a Security Guard licence in the province of Ontario.

This course is a continuation of Computer/Keyboarding Skills III.  Students continue working toward improving accuracy and increasing speed by practising keyboard skill-building drills, completing timed writings and listening skill exercises, and through memorization techniques. To be successful in this course, students must achieve 50 net words per minute.

This course is designed to introduce students to the skills and strategies needed to understand effective crisis intervention.  Various problem solving skills and intervention techniques are explored.  Participants will demonstrate accepted techniques of crisis intervention to a variety of commonly encountered call centre situations.  Certain types of calls require specific intervention strategies and the focus of this course is to make the students feel confident and competent in understanding and responding to a diverse range of crisis situations.

This course introduces students with the opportunity to acquire the skills and knowledge to deal with a diverse range of customers.  Students will focus on topics pertaining to the achievement of equity in various social and work settings including, but not limited to, race, gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation.  With diversity as a backdrop, students will develop a clear sense of their own attitudes, beliefs and values.  This course will deal with social issues of diversity and will identify possible strategies for empowerment in the workplace.

Students complete the APCO Emergency Medical Dispatcher course designed by the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and delivered by a certified APCO trainer.  This course provides an overview of emergency medical communications including legal and liability issues, resource allocation, layout and structure of Emergency Medical Dispatch Guidecards, anatomy and physiology, quality assurance, and stress management.  This is a pass or fail course.  Students must achieve a minimum of 80 per cent on the APCO certification exam and complete all other course work as described in the course outline.  Upon successful completion, students will receive a certificate of completion from the APCO Institute.

In the fourth semester of studies in the 911 Emergency and Call Centre Communications program, students complete a placement in a work setting for a minimum of 120 hours (weeks 1 through 3 of semester 4) enabling them to apply the soft skills they have learned and developed in their program.