Illinois APCO's Spring Leadership Symposium 2023

Thank you for attending our Plainfield Sessions!

Our Effingham Sessions will be held on 

May 2nd for TC's

May 3rd for Supervisors / Directors 

Agenda and Registrations Begin Soon!

Registration for our Plainfield sessions is now closed! 

Plainfield Fire Protection District - Headquarters Facility,
23748 W 135th St 
Plainfield, IL 60544

Telecommunicator Day - Wednesday, March 8th, 2023 

Supervisor Day - Thursday, March 9th, 2023
Director Manager Day - Friday, March 10th, 2023

Day 1 (March 8th): Telecommunicators

08:00-08:30: Intro

It’s easy to feel like you are alone, but there is no reason for it. Look around the room. Everyone here is a resource. Everyone here got to where they are because someone believed in them. Think about where you were and what you knew 5 years ago; are you in the same place? Think about where you want to be in 5 years; how are you going to bridge that gap? Did you come this far to give up? If you fail, who pays the price? If it is worth doing, it is worth doing right. 

08:30-09:30: Time Away and Being Proud of what you do. 

During this session, we will discuss the importance of taking time off, and being a strong team player with a sincere sense of pride in what you do. In today’s workforce, there is a lot of tension regarding an employee’s work ethic and dedication to their profession. How much OT is reasonable to expect staff to work? Is it ok for them to not want to work any OT? How do we manage these expectations amongst peers to reduce conflict?

9:30-9:50: Break

9:50-10:50: The Fine Print

We live in a world that is increasingly making it easier to survive without reading. How many of you have read a single User License Agreement for your phone from start to finish? How about the contract you signed 300 times to purchase your house? We live in a culture where it is absolutely acceptable to sign documents without reading them, but you cannot let that be the norm with regards to your employment documents. This session will be spent discussing the importance of knowing your agency’s policies and Collective Bargaining agreement from start to finish, and the proper way to effect change within those documents if you wish to do so.

10:50-11:10: Break

11:10-12:10: Next Gen 911 and Emerging Technologies

What new technologies have been recently implemented in your center that have made your life easier? Do you know what Next Gen 911 is and how it will impact your daily work life? What type of training are TC’s hungry for? What type of training to they feel like they need to be effective in the new roles that are expected of you?

12:10-12:30: Break and Lunch Served

12:30-13:30 Lunch Open Discussion

During this segment, we will ask for any dilemmas you are experiencing that will not be addressed in the other primary segments. Air your struggle out, and let the room respond to it. This session will be a great time to collect business cards and make contacts to use throughout the year. 

13:30-13:50: Break

13:50-14:50 Cannibals of the modern day PSAP

Everyone is familiar with the “Eat our Young” culture that is so pervasive in our industry. How do we break the cycle of treating others how we hated to be treated? If you have ever heard the expressions “I paid my dues” or “They signed up for this” or maybe “We all had to deal with it” then you will be more than equipped to contribute to the discussion in this session.   We must stop pretending this is not a problem and tackle it head on to create an environment conducive to positive professional growth and learning. 

14:50-15:10: Break

15:10-16:10: Telecommunicators can be leaders too!

Often telecommunicators feel as if they work in an environment where they have very little input; they must only do as they are told. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Management is always looking for the next leader who is willing to identify problems and develop solutions to make the agency better. This session is geared to bring out the best examples you can share to inspire others to be an active and positive voice within their own center.

Day 2 (March 9th): Supervisors

08:00-08:30: Intro

It’s easy to feel like you are alone, but there is no reason for it. Look around the room. Everyone here is a resource. Everyone here got to where they are because someone believed in them. Think about where you were and what you knew 5 years ago; are you in the same place? Think about where you want to be in 5 years; how are you going to bridge that gap? Did you come this far to give up? If you fail, who pays the price? If it is worth doing, it is worth doing right.

08:30-09:30: How is your culture doing?

Changing your agency’s culture should be on every Supervisor’s agenda. Let’s talk about some things that you have done, or seen done, that have changed the culture in your organization.

9:30-9:50: Break

9:50-10:50: The Fine Print

We live in a world that is increasingly making it easier to survive without reading. How many of you have read a single User License Agreement for your phone from start to finish? How about the contract you signed 300 times to purchase your house? We live in a culture where it is absolutely acceptable to sign documents without reading them, but you cannot let that be the norm with regards to your employment documents. This session will be spent discussing the importance of knowing your agency’s policies and Collective Bargaining agreement from start to finish, and the proper way to effect change within those documents if you wish to do so.

10:50-11:00: Break

11:00-11:30 Statewide 911 Administrator’s NG911 Project Status Update

11:30-12:10: Next Gen 911 and Emerging Technologies

What new technologies have been recently implemented in your center that have made your life easier? Do you know what Next Gen 911 is and how it will impact your daily work life?

12:10-12:30: Break and Lunch Served

12:30-13:30 Lunch Open Discussion

During this segment, we will ask for any dilemmas you are experiencing that will not be addressed in the other primary segments. Air your struggle out, and let the room respond to it. This session will be a great time to collect business cards and make contacts to use throughout the year.

13:30-13:50: Break

13:50-14:50 Cannibals of the modern day PSAP

Everyone is familiar with the “Eat our Young” culture that is so pervasive in our industry. How do we break the cycle of treating others how we hated to be treated? If you have ever heard the expressions “I paid my dues” or “They signed up for this” or maybe “We all had to deal with it” then you will be more than equipped to contribute to the discussion in this session.  We must stop pretending this is not a problem and tackle it head on to create an environment conducive to positive professional growth and learning.

14:50-15:10: Break

15:10-16:10: Dealing with “that person”.

EVERYONE has “that person” working for them. What have you done to keep a lid on the situation? What have you tried that blew up in your face? If you get rid of them, will your problems be solved?

Day 3 (March 10th): Directors/Managers

08:00-08:30: Intro

It’s easy to feel like you are alone, but there is no reason for it. Look around the room. Everyone here is a resource. Everyone here got to where they are because someone believed in them. Think about where you were and what you knew 5 years ago; are you in the same place? Think about where you want to be in 5 years; how are you going to bridge that gap? Did you come this far to give up? If you fail, who pays the price? If it is worth doing, it is worth doing right.

08:30-09:20: Recruitment and Retention

We tend to focus a tremendous amount of attention on what to do with someone when they are hired, but often fail to invest the right amount of time in selecting the best candidate that has the highest chance of success. Furthermore, when you do get quality people in the door, what can we do to keep them?

During this segment, we will discuss hiring processes and retention strategies. What has worked extremely well for your center? Do you have a horror story you would like to share? Where the heck are all of the would be employees these days? What are you doing to keep the ones you cannot afford to lose?

9:20-9:40: Break

9:40-10:30: Next Gen 911 and Emerging Technologies

What new technologies have been recently implemented in your center that have made your life easier? Are you ready for NG911? What does training look like to prepare our staff for all of the new things coming down the pipe?

10:30-10:50: Break

10:50-11:40: Managing your culture effectively. 

The last three years we have discussed how important culture is in our centers. What have we all done to improve the culture at our centers, and to lead by example?

11:40-12:10: Break and Lunch Served

12:10-13:00 Lunch Open Discussion

During this segment, we will ask for any dilemmas you are experiencing that will not be addressed in the other primary segments. Air your struggle out, and let the room respond to it. This session will be a great time to collect business cards and make contacts to use throughout the year.

13:00-13:20: Break

13:20-16:00 Legal Time with John Kelly

After a presentation on legal hot topics in 911, we will open the floor to attendee driven question and answer with John Kelly. Bring your toughest legal struggles to this session and fasten your seat belt. We will have one 20-minute break during this session when time permits.