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Comms Coach Podcast
Welcome to Comms Coach, the podcast that delves deep into the world of training and quality assurance for 9-1-1. Your host, Lori Henricksen, is a veteran in the field with more than 30 years experience as a dispatcher, trainer and high school teacher who started one of the country's first 9-1-1 Dispatch programs for High School students in Las Vegas, Nevada. In each episode, a lineup of expert guests dive into the critical aspects of emergency communications training, quality assurance and improvement. They share valuable insights, techniques, and best practices to help today's trainers and the next generation of unsung heroes. So whether you're an experienced dispatcher, leader, trainer or simply curious about how to set up and run training or QA programs in your center or school, get ready to embark on a journey of knowledge, growth, and inspiration. This is Comms Coach, building the strength behind every call.
Episodes
15 episodes
Season 3 Episode 3: GovWorx Education Team
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 91...
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Season 3 Episode 2: Teresa Burgamy
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 Fr...
Season 3 Episode 1: Tipi Brookins
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 w...
Season 2 Episode 6: Whitney Moore, Branding in 9-1-1
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 ...
Season 2 Episode 5: Eric Guerrero, From Classroom to Command Center
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 hi...
Season 2 Episode 4 Jessica Lindley - Breaking Barriers in Public Safety
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 t...
Season 2 Episode 3 Steve Sutton The Power of Positivity
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, correcti...
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Season 2 Episode 2 Kimberly Govea - Boost Your Training
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 dispatche...
Season 2 Episode 1 Cassie Sexton CIT and Dispatcher Wellness
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 a...
Season 1 Episode 6 Erika Lakey, "Those 911 Girls"
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...
Season 1 Episode 5 Samantha Hawkins - The Traveling Trainer
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 wi...
Season 1 Episode 4 Tina DeCola - Training and Peer Support
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 ...
Season 1 Episode 3 Kris Nichols - The CTO
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 A...
Season 1 Episode 2 Halcyon Frank
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 Devel...
Season 1 Episode 1 Wendy Lotman
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 can...