My APCO Experience & What I Learned
Guest blog post by
Samantha Hawkins, Cobb Co. 9-1-1, GA
2020 WTT Continuing Education Scholarship Recipient
It might as well had been yesterday that I checked out the missed call notification at the top of my cell phone screen. I was headed out the door for work; one particularly weighty backpack slung off of my right shoulder, while I just managed to balance my foil-covered lunch in my left hand. I didn’t recognize the number to begin with so I figured if it was something important they’d leave a voicemail … They did.
Hey Samantha, this is Ricardo Martinez from Within The Trenches. I was hoping to reach you this morning. Well, please give me a call back as soon as you can. Thank you and take care.
It wasn’t yesterday though. It was March 6, 2020, on a pretty ordinary Friday, when I found out the news that I had been selected as the first Within The Trenches Continuing Education Scholarship recipient for 2020. I was elated, honored, humbled, overwhelmed, and positively thrilled all at once! I was going to NAVIGATOR 2020. This was going to be my first major dispatch conference in my then-four-and-a-half years of service in 911. I was proud. My entire 911 center was proud. And without a doubt, my family and friends were proud also. I had excitedly begun planning for these days of learning, networking, work-shopping, and just enjoying the company of so many individuals in my field with as much—and even more—passion and heart about the job and the communities we serve. I would be attending with the knowledge that I represented all of Cobb County 911. But then 2020 happened, and there was suddenly no NAVIGATOR 2020, no in-person NENA conference, and no APCO conference either.
Flash forward to today, as I write this I am sitting on my bedroom floor surrounded by partially-unpacked luggage, a pile of clothes, and a couple of shopping bags full of random trinkets and souvenirs from Texas. It’s my first day back from San Antonio having spent the last five days immersed in the city’s culture, and the past four, specifically, soaking in the experience of the APCO 2021 conference. Thanks to the recommendation of my immediate supervisor, the amazing support of my PSAP’s director, and the faithfulness of Ricardo Martinez in fulfilling my scholarship deal a year later, I attended the conference that boasted over 5,000 attendees and exhibitors and featured around 120 sessions. It’s been full circle for me: from writing an essay on what #IAM911 means to me to being a guest on the Within The Trenches podcast where I spoke on combating bias in the workplace to this moment now: sitting on my carpet, still reeling from the awesomeness of my first 911 conference.
So what was my experience at APCO like? In a nutshell, it was the most enlightening experience of my life. I had a blast! Not a single second of it was boring or underwhelming. I wasn’t the kid in a candy store; I was that lucky kid that won a golden ticket to the Wonka Chocolate Factory. There were presentations or panels for almost every topic. There were speakers from all walks of life, many different backgrounds, and various stages in their 911 career. Every day I either found myself laughing hysterically or nodding my head emphatically at the speaker’s PowerPoint or crying my eyes out. When Rev. Edie DeVilbiss talked about the “how” of self-care and making time for “five minutes of silence” a day, I was inspired to reevaluate my attitudes and assess how well I pay attention to my physical health. When Dr. Kimberly Miller discussed the effects of organizational culture on employee life and behavior, I was struck by her points on how we often value “good technical dispatcher skills” over “good character,” and how toxic it can become to an organization when “Darth Vaders” are allowed to persist in their negativity or bullying.
Then I was fortunate enough to hear Navy Admiral William H. McRaven tell his story of the big impact one can make if they simply live courageous, take chances, do new and sometimes bold things, and not back away from a challenge. Speaking of challenges, I got to listen to my 911 director, Melissa Alterio, present alongside a panel of veteran leaders in this industry on the challenges of navigating the road to effective management; its “bumps, curves, and road blocks.” I was motivated to look within my own self and consider the sort of supervisor I'd want to be someday, as well as reframe my mindset on what the journey to professional development may look like for me. It was only appropriate that I capped off four days' worth of lectures and lessons with Beth Kemper's session on recognizing PTSD symptoms (as it relates to dispatchers), when to seek treatment, and how to ultimately continue thriving in this field in spite of PTSD. I asked her for a picture afterwards and she was so warm and courteous enough to oblige me with some conversation about the importance of peer support.
The only thing more incredible than the interactive learning experience was the opportunities to meet new people, make new connections, or finally meet people I respect and admire greatly for the first time. 911 warriors like Sara Weston (literally one part firecracker and one part teddy bear) who gave me the platform—almost one year ago to the date—to share my thoughts on the balancing act of being a person of color in 911 who supports law enforcement but also supports social justice reforms. Juggernauts like Adam Timm, who's laid the groundwork for "people-driven leadership" and is both directly and indirectly responsible for producing many powerful leaders in our industry; some of whom I've been very blessed to know or to cross paths with. And then of course there's the greatest activist of our profession to ever walk this earth! Mr. 911 himself aka Ricardo Martinez. Whenever you meet a superhero up close, there's always that fear in the back of your mind that maybe they're not who you think they are... But he really is just an authentically good-natured, good-humored, and big-hearted guy with the best laugh and a love of tacos and pizza. (This confirms that you can take the man out of dispatch, but you can’t take dispatch out of the man, LOL!)
Overall, it was the experience of a lifetime, and God willing, I would love to attend again next year. For anyone who has never had the chance to attend any of the major 911 conferences, or has perhaps never considered going before, I urge you to do it! It will be rewarding and eye-opening. You will learn and gain so much new insight into the job you do. You’ll hear things that will challenge you to open your mind a little, maybe even a lot, and you’ll be inspired to incorporate basic principles for servant leadership and teamwork into your own personal growth. Going to APCO 2021 was the game-changing decision I hadn’t even realized that I needed to make but I made it, and because of all that I learned, I know my career in 911 is only destined for greatness.