Dispatcher Group Forming

A group of trainers who have been key in developing the concept of on-scene incident dispatching has formed a national group to recommend standards of certification, qualification, and training. The National Incident Dispatcher Association (NIDA) offers three levels of members, with dues waived for the first 90 days. The concept of dispatchers working on-scene began about 13 years ago, and many local agencies have developed teams of incident dispatchers for regional incidents. Hurricane Katrina sparked interest in mutual aid for dispatching and the incident dispatching concept. Find more information at the association’s Web site here.