KSAPCO announcing workshops

KSAPCO has started announcing some of the workshops and activities which will be held at the Spring Conference in Wichita.

Managing “Psycho-Hazmat” on the 911 Front Lines:  Protecting your Health, Your Career, and Your Family – Officers on duty wear bullet proof vests, Fire Fighters wear durable heat and fire resistant “Turnout suits”, and hazardous material workers wear, well--big funny- looking outfits that protect them from diseases and death! But what do 911 dispatchers wear to protect themselves from their exposure to Psychological Hazmat—the toxic effects of exposure to death, violence, and tragedy at the console?  Jim Marshall will launch our conference with an entertaining and eye-opening look at the psychological risks posed by your work as 911 frontliners--and what you can do to protect yourself. You’ll hear the incredible story of Oregon’s “Jan and Mike: the Kevlar Couple” then join your peers for a Think Tank exercise to explore how you can support your 911 family in the face of traumatic stress.  

After our morning break Jim will continue with part 2 of his presentation: Taming the Vicious 911 Stress Cycle-- “We Bring it Home & Take it back to Work”. In this highly interactive session, we’ll explore how we carry our 911 stress home where it can change our relationships and  impact the quality of our personal lives—our marriages and our families. Jim has listened to countless dispatchers describe their frustration with cycle—and helped many overcome it. He will lead us in a dynamic conversation equipping us to protect our mental health, and to enjoy our partners, our children and our lives outside the 911 center.