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Coping with Grief and Loss During the Holidays ***Lunch is Provided***

Details Price Qty
Telecommunicatorshow details + $0.00 USD  

  • Telecommunicator
     December 18, 2025
     8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Capital Area Council of Governments - Pecan Room

Venue Phone: 512-916-6000

Venue Website:

Venue Address:
6800 Burleson Road, Building 310, Suite 165, Austin, Texas, 78744, United States

Description:

Please enter the Pecan through the CAPCOG main entrance. You will pass the CAPCOG reception desk.

Lunch will be provided courtesy of Tracy Ertl
The holidays are stressful for society and lead to an increase in certain call types such as domestic disturbances, traffic accidents, suicidal callers and theft/robbery reports. The component we need to understand better is the end-of-year expectations and, as telecommunicators, the “look back” concept of totality that can often grab us. Unless trained on it, dispatchers can be caught off guard by feelings of compounded grief and loss, with a hard hit often coming when we need more peace and resilience, not less.

This course is designed for all staff to recognize the changes brought to society during the holidays that specifically impact callers, calls, information, and strategy in the 911 center.
Utilizing call data, students will learn the science of moving through the holidays in 911. As a class community, we will analyze a selection of holiday-related calls and teach a plan for successfully working during this critical time of year.
We will train on potentially triggering calls and apply neuroscience concepts to create a pathway for less stress and higher productivity. Students will leave having created new pathways within their brains.

Instructor: Tracy Ertl

HeroLight Training Owner, Lead Instructor Tracy C. Ertl has dedicated 28 years to public safety communications, recently retired from Brown County Public Safety Communications, a consolidated 911 center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Tracy has served thousands of public safety students as a devoted APCO Adjunct Instructor, presenting nationally and internationally. She is also Owner & Publisher at TitleTown Publishing, a mainstream publishing house specializing in survival and police titles. Tracy founded HeroLight as a training company built to bring out the hero and happy in all people. She lives in Green Bay, and is the proud parent of three thriving grown children.

Special Instructions:

Dress Code: To promote a professional training environment, CAPCOG requires proper attire.  Attendee must provide their PID # to receive TCOLE credit for courses taken through CAPCOG. CAPCOG provides training for the Emergency Communication Centers (ECC) in our region at no cost to 9-1-1 telecommunicators and their departments. When space is reserved for a 9-1-1 training class offered by CAPCOG, students or the supervisor who made the reservation must cancel such reservation at least two business days prior to start of the class.

For Questions

Contact Pamela Frisk, CAPCOG. 9-1-1 Training & Public Education Manager.