Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 31 - Public Safety › Part 601 - BOARD OF EMERGENCY TELECOMMUNICATIONS STANDARDS AND TRAINING PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION POLICY AND PROCEDURES MANUAL › Chapter 12 - Re-Certification of Emergency Telecommunicators › Rule 31-601-12.3 - Procedures

Current through June 25, 2024
1. All emergency
				telecommunicator applicants for re-certification shall complete the following
				steps to maintain their current certification status with the Board.
A. Applicants for telecommunicator
				re-certification shall submit a fully completed (1) Application for
				Re-certification and (2) Re-certification Report prior to expiration of their
				BETST professional certificate.
B.
				An emergency telecommunicator shall complete a minimum of 48 hours of approved
				elective training every three (3) years prior to the expiration date of their
				professional certificate. Each emergency telecommunicator shall review their
				training needs with their supervisor on a continuous basis and complete
				training as needed. Continuous education shall consist of the following:
1. Completion of at least 48 hours of
				elective training from no fewer than six subject areas over the three-year
				certification period.
(subject area requires a minimum of four (4)
				hours)
a. A checklist of approved
				training programs will be provided by the Board from which the candidate may
				choose. Verification of elective training must be acknowledged in writing by
				the agency head or their designee via the Recertification Report.
b. Any courses or conference seminars which
				are not on the list of elective subject areas but are requested to be taken for
				this purpose must receive prior approval from the Board as counting toward
				meeting re-certification requirements. Only two (2) conferences may be used to
				obtain credit per recertification period. The Board will review conference
				schedules and determine the amount of subject area credits and elective hours
				to be granted per conference.
c.
				Reimbursement for elective training shall consist of all of the same expenses
				as initial certification (salary, tuition, lodging, meals, mileage) only up to
				the point of meeting re-certification requirements or on a first-come
				first-served basis, which shall be determined by the date of application.
				Reimbursement requests for any elective training may be submitted immediately
				upon completion of such.
Note: All out of state travel must be approved in writing by
				  the Board prior to attending requested courses.
d. Elective training may consist of approved
				virtual/online training. Beginning January 1, 2023, all certified
				telecommunicators must be TCPR certified or shall complete a TCPR online
				certification course within 12 months. TCPR training is a requirement for
				re-certification each re-certification period. Telecommunicators shall be
				re-certified according to the TCPR vendors requirements. Proof of training
				shall be maintained by the agency in its personnel files and copies of training
				certificates must be attached to the "Online Training Report" when submitted to
				the Board for credit.
Virtual/Online elective training shall not exceed two (2)
				  credits (eight [8] hours per credit) per re-certification period. A separate
				  form must be submitted for each eight (8) hours of credit. The reimbursement of
				  online training includes the telecommunicator's salary and approved
				  tuition.
e. Completing
				another Basic and/or EMD course similar to that taken for initial certification
				is not creditable as a re-certification elective.
C. Once all appropriate paperwork
				and training has been completed and submitted to the Board, the emergency
				telecommunicator will be re-certified for another three years.
D. Any persons due to illness, class
				availability or other events beyond their control that could not complete the
				required elective training, may serve with full pay and benefits in such a
				capacity until they can complete the training. Those requesting an extension of
				their time must petition the Board in writing and also must note how much
				re-certification training has been completed at that point in time.
E. Break-in-Service: There is herein
				established a set of re-certification guidelines for those state certified
				emergency telecommunicators who leave the profession and later return.
1. Telecommunicators who have a
				break-in-service of four years or more shall be required to complete the same
				certification requirements as those who are new to the profession. This shall
				include completing a basic course, TCPR course, and orientation course (unless
				the orientation course was completed before the break) for law enforcement and
				fire certification and the EMD basic/CPR course for EMD
				certification.
2. Telecommunicators
				who have a break-in-service of less than four years shall meet re-certification
				requirements within one year of being rehired. Any training requirements
				completed after the most recent certification date and prior to the
				break-in-service shall count towards re-certification.