Course Details

Basic Communications Officer Training Course (BCOT)

Course Hours: 48.0 Hours

Course Description

This course is intended for new communications officers working in state and local government agencies who handle, process, or transmit public safety information and dispatch law enforcement, firefighters, medical personnel, or emergency management teams. Topics covered in the course include liability, crisis intervention, radio broadcast techniques, law enforcement dispatch, principles of EMS dispatch, telephone CPR, fire and hazardous materials dispatch, and effective telephone techniques.

Prerequisites

Communications officers in Georgia must have a completed and approved Communications Officer application on file with the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) before being accepted into the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) Basic Communications Officer Training Course. Students must be in good standing with Georgia POST and eligible to complete certification training. Additionally, active agency sponsorship is required. 

Who Should Attend

Individuals employed as a communications officer must attend a Georgia POST-approved Basic Communications Officer course within six (6) months of the initial date of employment to perform the duties of a communications officer. A communications officer is defined as any person employed by the state or a local governmental agency to receive, process, or transmit public safety information and dispatch law enforcement officers, firefighters, medical personnel, or emergency management personnel.

Special Notes

In addition to the online TTY course, students are required to complete four independent study assignments through the GPSTC online portal.