Recommended Minimum Guidelines for Initial Public Safety Telecommunicator Training

The public should receive a consistent level of 911 service no matter where they live or travel. Consequently, there must be agreed-upon common elements that ensure the 911 telecommunicator answering a 911 call has met baseline core competencies, and that the public will receive consistent experience and professionalism when communicating with a 911 center.

Developed through a collaborative 911 community process, the Recommended Minimum Guidelines for Initial Public Safety Telecommunicator Training, updated June 2026, identify the minimum topics for inclusion in any telecommunicator training program. Building on the inaugural 2016 guidelines, NHTSA's National 911 Program convened the appropriate 911 stakeholders to update the Recommended Minimum Training Guidelines for Telecommunicators. This effort focused on better equipping 911 personnel for their expanding and evolving job functions. Click here for more information about the project and participants.

The newly revised guidelines elevate the recommendations regarding minimum training and address changes in the 911 industry. The updated guidelines were developed by a multi-agency working group, collaborating over the last three years, to provide a consistent baseline for telecommunicator training across the United States. While the training is not federally mandated, it is collaboratively formulated by subject matter experts and serves as a foundation for professional development.

For states that do not have legislation in place concerning minimum training for telecommunicators, the Model Statute for the Regulation of Recommended Minimum Training Guidelines for Telecommunicators, created in 2016, is intended to be a baseline to ensure that the recommended minimum training topics are addressed.