Comms Coach Podcast

In this episode of the CommsCoach Podcast, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Lee Ann Magoski, Director of Emergency Communications for Monterey County, to discuss how professional organizations help 9-1-1 dispatchers, telecommunicators, supervisors, trainers, and ECC leaders grow their careers and strengthen the emergency communications profession. Lee Ann shares why organizations like NENA, APC...

Most people think they understand 911. They know someone picks up. What they don't know is everything that happens in the seconds after—and that gap, it turns out, costs more than anyone realizes. In this special episode recorded in honor of 911 Education Month, host Lori Henricksen brings together three members of the GovWorks education team—Chief of Public Safety Engagement Tipi Brookins, D...

What if you could hand a high schooler a headset, put them in a simulated 911 center, and watch the moment they realize this job is nothing like they imagined? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Teresa Burgamy—IT manager at Fresno County Sheriff's, lead dispatch instructor at Fresno City College Police Academy, and the woman behind one of the most innovative 911 outreach pro...

Pizza parties and themed dress-up days aren't a wellness program. And in this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Tipi Brookins—Chief of Public Safety Engagement at GovWorks and former Chief of Staff at DC 911—to talk about what real wellness actually looks like in a 911 center, and why getting it right is the difference between a center that retains people and one that slowly burns...

Most 911 centers never think about branding. Whitney Moore thinks that's a mistake—and this episode might just change your mind too. Host Lori Henricksen sits down with the Communications Manager at Northwest Emergency Communications Center in Texas for a conversation about what happens when a dispatch center decides to take its identity seriously. Whitney's center wasn't always wha...

What if the 911 dispatcher who takes your call tomorrow started learning the job in high school? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Eric Guerrero—a professional 911 dispatcher and former student in one of the nation's first high school dispatch programs—to talk about what happens when you give young people a real look at emergency communications before they ever apply for th...

Someone told Jessica Lindley she couldn't be a 911 dispatcher. She's been proving them wrong ever since. In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Jessica—a working dispatcher and a professional with a disability—for a conversation that challenges just about every assumption the 911 industry still carries about who belongs behind the headset. Jessica's connection to emerg...

What does it actually cost a 911 center when the culture is toxic—and who's responsible for fixing it? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Steve Sutton, a public safety professional with over 30 years across fire, EMS, corrections, and 911 communications, for a candid conversation about what it takes to build a comm center where people actually want to show up. Steve and Lori...

What if the secret to better 911 training didn't require a bigger budget—just a little more creativity and a genuine commitment to doing the job well? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Kimberly Gouvea, retired LVMPD dispatcher and trainer with 20 years on the floor, for a conversation packed with practical, adaptable ideas that any comm center can start using right away. Ki...

What happens when the person trained to help everyone else in crisis has been quietly falling apart themselves—and what does it take to come back from that? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Cassie Sexton, former dispatcher and law enforcement professional turned first responder wellness advocate, for one of the most honest and important conversations the show has had yet. Cassi...

What does it look like to chase excellence in a 911 center without letting the pursuit of perfection get in the way? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Erika Lakey—veteran dispatcher, trainer, and co-founder of Those 911 Girls—for a conversation about what it really takes to grow as a 911 professional and build a culture where the whole team is moving forward together. Erika&apos...

What separates a 911 center that's just getting by from one that's genuinely excellent—and how do you close that gap? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Samantha Hawkins, a nationally recognized 911 trainer and QA evaluator with Motivations, to dig into what a real quality assurance program looks like in emergency communications and why it might be the most underutilize...

What happens to the people who take the hardest calls—and who's there for them when the headset comes off? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Tina DeCola, Communications Supervisor with Las Vegas Fire & Rescue and trainer with the Denise Amber Lee Foundation, for a deeply personal and practical conversation about dispatcher wellness and what peer support actually looks l...

What does it actually mean to be a great CTO—and why does it matter so much more than most people realize? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Kris Nichols, a seasoned Communications Training Officer with New River Valley 911 Authority, for an honest, practical conversation about what it takes to train the next generation of 911 dispatchers and build comm centers worth being proud...

How did someone "accidentally" fall into 911 dispatch and end up becoming one of its most passionate advocates for professional development? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Halcyon Frank, Director of Training and Development for the Denise Amber Lee Foundation, for a conversation that challenges how the industry thinks about continuing dispatcher education. Halcyon&a...

What does it really take to excel behind the headset—and what does it take to build a team of people who can? In this episode, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Wendy Lotman, Fire Communications Chief at Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, for a candid, wide-ranging conversation about what separates great 911 dispatchers from good ones, and what comm centers can do to find, train, and keep them. Wendy...