Services

I specialize in training and consulting services for 911 dispatch professionals and agencies.
With a deep understanding of their unique challenges, I offer workshops, hands-on sessions, and curriculum development to enhance their skills and knowledge. My goal is to equip dispatchers with the tools they need to handle high-pressure situations effectively and improve center wellness, morale and ultimately retention.

Training Sessions I Offer

Cumulative PTSI in a Dispatch Environment
Cumulative PTSI significantly impacts emergency dispatchers, affecting their physical, mental, and emotional well-being in the long and short term. This can lead to reduced life satisfaction, low morale, and decreased work motivation, causing staffing retention issues. Students will learn to identify and mitigate Cumulative PTSI's negative effects, making informed choices to reduce their occurrence and impact. .
2hrs *online version available*
For California Agencies: POST and CalOES ATA certified
 
Leading Without a Title
Believing we need official titles to effect change or lead is a common misconception. This session emphasizes individual responsibility, mindset, emotional intelligence, communication, and mentoring. With these skills, students can improve their environment, boost morale, create a healthier workplace, and increase retention.
2hrs
For California Agencies: POST and CalOES ATA certified
 
Realistic Wellness for First Responders
We often reach a critical point of experiencing emotional and mental fatigue at such levels that we stop caring about making the right choices for ourselves. Too often we are told to be healthier without any guidance or we are given extreme choices to make that don’t account for the nature of this job. This course will provide realistic wellness goals that will allow you to be the best dispatcher you can be, by being the healthiest and most resilient person you can be.
2hrs  *online version available*
For California Agencies: POST and CalOES ATA certified

Communications Training Officer Wellness
This course is designed to bring attention to the additional stressors faced by individuals in CTO roles, amplifying the inherent challenges of their already demanding jobs. Given the prevalent staffing shortages, CTOs are now experiencing an unprecedented demand to train a continuous influx of new hires aimed at addressing understaffing issues. Consequently, this heightened responsibility is leading to significant CTO burnout, decision fatigue, and trainee compassion fatigue. The course recognizes the reality where refusing to train another individual is not a viable option, compelling CTOs to navigate and address their struggles through choices that extend beyond basic self-care practices. Its focus is specifically tailored to address the mental, emotional, and physical needs of CTOs both as individuals and as integral members of their training teams. 8hrs
For California Agencies: POST and CalOES ATA certified
 
How To Make Teaching CLETS Fun
​Join us and discover the exciting world of learning! You’ll be shown the many ways people learn, making your training experience more engaging and boosting your retention. Dive into the world of adult learner characteristics and learn how to tailor your training to make it truly effective. Get ready to participate in fun (I promise!) group activities and create innovative engagement methods for your agency!
2hrs, 4hrs, 8hrs
 For California Agencies: POST and CalOES ATA certified 
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The items listed below have a duration of approximately one hour each. They can be combined to create a longer training session if needed, extended to be longer than an hour if desired, or adjusted according to the specific preferences of the agency:
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  • Undoing the Damage of the Compartmentalization Culture - First responders adopt a culture of compartmentalization, suppressing the impact of their job and experiences. This has led to immense stress and unacknowledged trauma injuries. Listening to our bodies is vital to reduce further stress and trauma.

  • Fostering a Revolution: The Power of Coaching and Mentoring in Shaping Healthy Dispatch Environments Establishing a dual foundation of coaching and mentoring holds the potential to revolutionize the often toxic work environment. Coaching, built on the belief that individuals are whole and creative, aims to demonstrate how this perspective translates into the workplace. Meanwhile, mentoring provides personalized support, guiding dispatchers through the challenges of being a first responder. Together, these approaches enhance performance, ensure ongoing investment, and prioritize the well-being of those committed to this calling, fostering resilience and adaptability. The result is a supportive control room environment, leading to improved morale and staff retention

  • Training - It's Not Them, It's You - With staffing shortages at a critical high, we must reexamine dispatcher training for better retention and investment. Focus on trainees' learning methods rather than trainers' approaches. This session explores adult learning methods and theory, emphasizing the need to train our trainers and promote mentorship and work community inclusion. Let's shift the training mindset for long-term agency benefits.

  • Stress Cycles and How to Complete Them For Healing - Stress is commonly talked about in our profession, but what does it actually mean for our bodies and minds? Understanding stress cycles is crucial as they contribute to overwhelming feelings and long-term issues like PTSI and stress injuries. Completing these cycles is essential to feeling safe and reducing the impact of chronic stress on our bodies. Our brains are adaptable, so with practice, we can learn to identify and effectively complete stress cycles, promoting healing.

  • Emotional Intelligence - the Foundation of a Healthy Dispatch Center - Emotional Intelligence is the cornerstone of a thriving dispatch center. Recognizing and understanding both personal and others' emotions fosters a mindful pause between triggers and reactions. This skill transforms often toxic dispatch atmospheres. It reveals strengths, weaknesses, and focus areas, empowering students to take responsibility for actions and emotions. Equipped with self-awareness, they cultivate a positive work environment, demonstrating the transformative impact of Emotional Intelligence.   

  • Morale Boosters - From Ideas to Implementation - In this session, we'll address the staffing crises and wellness neglect in our control centers, and explore practical, cost-effective ideas. We'll discuss necessary supplies, their procurement, and create a manageable "booster" calendar.

  • Learning and Training Can Be Fun For Everyone! Let's embrace Adult Learning Theory (ALT) to improve training effectiveness. Instead of traditional lecture and PowerPoint, we'll make it engaging for both trainers and learners to boost information retention and staff engagement. Let's shake things up and have some fun while learning!

  • The Four Fs of Stress/Trauma Response - Understanding our brain and body's stress responses is crucial in a dispatch center where we constantly cycle through stress. We know about Flight and Fight responses, but Freeze and Fawn are equally important. This session will cover both physiological and psychological aspects to help mitigate stress and trauma injuries. Lack of knowledge and fear of seeking help can worsen stress and impact overall center morale and retention. Let's learn and support each other to improve our quality of life
 
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Consulting

I provide consultation services in three main areas: center wellness, curriculum creation, and conference breakout sessions. Each consultation service is tailored to meet the specific needs of the individual or agency seeking assistance. In other words, the approach and focus of the consultation will vary depending on the unique requirements and objectives of the agency.

Testimonials from participants after attending a training or session conducted by Shannon: ​
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""Thank you for such a fun and informative session! I learned a lot and came back to work excited to implement some of your games into our training program." Donna Dudek - Travis County Sheriff's Office
Course Attended: Learning and Training Can Be Fun
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"I attended CalNena and took your breakout session Morale and Wellness Boosters and I loved it! Thank you for all your handouts and freebies you gave out, I really enjoyed your class and the ideas you had." Majken Huston - Placer County Sheriff's Office
Course Attended: Morale and Wellness Boosters

"I attended your INCREDIBLE session at Navigator! I wanted to say thank you for your passion for great training!" Carrie Bare - Johnson County Emergency Communications
Course Attended: Learning and Training Can Be Fun 

"I took your class at CCUG and it was the best class I have taken in 21 years of dispatching...would love to have every one of my dispatchers and supervisors attend your class. I think it is vital for their mental well being and understanding why we as dispatchers are the way we are and how we cope." - Carla Even - Chula Vista Police Department 
Course Attended: Cumulative PTSI in a Dispatch Environment

"Your class was amazing. Lots of fun ways to engage different trainers and the many styles of learning. I plan on implementing these when I get back to my center." Ashley Lowery - Calvert Emergency Communications
Course Attended: Learning and Training Can Be Fun

"Thank you for putting together a course that is relatable, non-judgmental, and applicable to our daily lives. You touched on a couple of topics that I struggle with, and you gave me some ideas about how I can slowly make some changes to have a better quality of life and continue to love what I do for work."  Anonymous survey response
Course Attended: Help for the Headset - Realistic Wellness

​"I’m so glad I chose this breakout. I originally thought it was part of T4T but it was so much more. This was really a great session and it really helped to boost and give more knowledge of CLETS." Michelle Johnson - Fresno County Probation
Course Attended: How To Make Teaching CLETS Fun

​" I really enjoyed your class; it was actually my favorite of the whole conference." Jennifer Tannous - Los Altos Police Department
Course Attended: Cumulative PTSI in a Dispatch Environment
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