Make Your Mark

This year, 1,650 attendees came together in Orlando, Florida (USA), to Make Their Mark while celebrating emergency dispatch at NAVIGATOR 2025, which took place during National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week (NPSTW).

“Celebrate what you do and who you are,” said Jerry Overton, International Academies of Emergency Dispatch^® (IAED^™) President, during the Opening Session on Tuesday, April 15. And celebrate they did. NAVIGATOR was three days full of sessions, networking, awards, and parties at the Orlando World Center Marriott. Overton kept his walkup music the same as last year—"The Best” by Tina Turner—as a tribute to the hard work and dedication shown by those in the emergency dispatch profession.

The celebration officially began with the Opening Session setting the tone for the conference. New certifications totaled 21,219 with recertifications coming in at 28,479. Important to the world of certification, Instructor Services had 12 Instructor Recertification Workshops in 2024 and 14 Instructor Academies that graduated 48 new discipline certified instructors.

One monumental program received its well-deserved moment in the spotlight: the College of Emergency Dispatch. Numbers show how Emergency Dispatchers are turning to this resource in impressive fashion. An impressive 407,540 courses were completed, totaling 415,077 CDE hours. Of particular note was the Protocol 41: Caller in Crisis (1st Party Only) training course, which had been completed 4,150 times, and the DD-CPR course, which was completed more than 29,000 times.

A big win for the College was the new Emergency Dispatch Express Learning Portal launch in February, improving agencies’ ability to manage training and certification. This wasn’t the only time the Express Learning Portal would be mentioned from stage at NAVIGATOR (see the awards section for more details).

Awards
It was a banner year for awards with the Instructor of the Year, Dispatcher of the Year, Communication Center Manager Course, Bill Boehly Clinician of the Year, Best Research Poster, and the Dr. Jeff J. Clawson Leadership Award handed out during the Opening and Closing Sessions.

Instructor of the Year
When Eric Fayad, IAED Associate Director of Instructor Services, stepped on stage during the Opening Session to “Eye of the Tiger,” Jody Mader was sitting in her seat waiting to join him on stage to receive the Dave Massengale Memorial Instructor of the Year award.

“It’s an award we use to recognize exceptional skill and dedication to the field of emergency dispatch,” Fayad said as he introduced the award.

From Butler County, Kansas (USA), Mader has certainly made her mark in the lives of countless people, especially since joining emergency communications in 2008 and moving over to Butler County in 2013. As a member of the ETC Curriculum Board, a triple Q instructor (EMD-Q, EFD-Q, EPD-Q), and a master ETC-I instructor who’s taught more than 218 courses, her influence is far-reaching.

“She can be relied on as a mentor and trained 30% of our ETC-I instructors,” Fayad said when presenting the award. “She’s our strongest pitch hitter of the ETC-I course.”

Mader kept her remarks on stage brief, thanking the Academy and the staff at Butler County. After the Opening Session, Mader said she hadn’t realized the magnitude of her impact on ETC-I instructors. “I know it’s been a lot, but I never knew it was 30%,” she said.

It’s not just the number of people she’s trained, but also the way in which she teaches other instructors that makes a difference.

“It’s great to help people understand that we’re training these dispatchers, and we want to help them get the best start,” Mader said.

While setting the proper foundation matters for all instructor candidates, it’s especially important for those ETC-I candidates who have experience teaching but are unfamiliar with the field of emergency dispatch when they walk into an Instructor Academy.

Mader’s commitment to teaching is evident through the steps she takes to be available as much as she can. Rather than using her vacation time to travel for in-person courses or join remote courses, Mader’s co-workers step in to trade shifts.

“I wouldn’t be where I was without them helping,” she said. “My team at work has been amazing to help me flip schedules.”

And while the award wasn’t a complete surprise—she found out before arriving in Orlando—the impact of the award wasn’t any less. “It felt really good,” Mader said. “I was proud to be up there.”

Dispatcher of the Year
The awards kept going with Greg Scott, IAED Associate Director of Protocol Evolution, asking the audience what would happen if you approached the front gate of the Magic Kingdom and asked someone to name their profession. Hints included managing people in crisis every day, training to deliver a baby, being ready to talk someone out of a sinking vehicle, delivering naloxone instructions for an overdose patient, and sending the right help to the right place.

“It’s safe to say that the general public often has a limited understanding of what Emergency Dispatchers do,” Scott said. “They may not fully grasp the level of stress and skill needed.”

This is exactly why the focus of the conference was on the emergency dispatch professionals. “They don’t do it for the recognition, the level of money, or because it’s easy,” Scott said. “They do it because it’s hard.”

And in the world of emergency dispatch, when something is hard, failure isn’t an option. Danielle King, Emergency Dispatcher from Northwell Health Center for EMS in New York (USA), was presented with the Dispatcher of the Year award after a clip of an intense call she handled was shared with her peers in attendance.

In January 2024, King picked up a call from two children ages 11 and 14. The 14-year-old boy took the lead.

“He was very articulate about what was happening with his mom,” King said. “He made it easy.”

The “easy” part was building on the implicit trust he had in King to help him help his mom. She guided him through CPR compression instructions, with the two children trading off during the eight minutes before responders arrived. King knew it wouldn’t be easy doing CPR on your own mother. She recalled what a friend went through with her own parent when King was 16.

“You do remember these things,” King said. “They did everything they possibly could. I hope it gave them hope and encouragement.”

It wasn’t only this call that showed King’s commitment to excellent customer service. James De Bono, Northwell Health Center for EMS, Operations Manager–Communications, nominated her for the award. De Bono listed qualities that help King excel in her job, including teamwork, patience under pressure, and offering a calming presence to callers. “Her true strength lies in her genuine compassion. You really feel like she’s supporting callers. She cares about what she does.”

King was excited for the opportunity to travel to NAVIGATOR, but she was blindsided when her name was announced as the DOY recipient. It was a humbling experience, especially when she saw the wall displaying the 40 DOY nominees.

“No clue at all,” she said. “I’m excited to bring it home for everyone. I’m so happy to work there. I’m really proud of what we do.”

Communication Center Manager Course
Wrapping up the conference during Thursday’s Closing Session were more awards to recognize those giving it their all in emergency dispatch. Hannah Fitch from Fitch & Associates and the 2024 Communication Center Manager (CCM) graduates gathered on stage to highlight the CCM program’s “14 weeks of pure joy” and lifelong learning. NAVIGATOR was the perfect place for CCM graduates to meet again.

“You have provided us with a phenomenal experience,” Fitch said. “It was so great to connect.”

Paul Alberts, BC Emergency Health Services, Canada, recipient of the CCM Leadership Award, shared what the CCM program gave him including a desire to contribute to research, a strong community, and friends he wouldn’t have met otherwise who genuinely support each other without ulterior motives. 
Overton told the CCM graduates, “You are our future. Keep that commitment.”

Bill Boehly Clinician of the Year
Natalia Gallant is an individual who embodies the commitment Overton talked about. Conrad Fivaz, President of Priority Solutions™, announced Gallant, who uses the Emergency Communication Nurse System^™ (ECNS^™) at EMCI in Nova Scotia, Canada, as the recipient of the Bill Boehly Clinician of the Year Award.

“We had some incredible candidates, and this year is no exception,” Fivaz said on stage. “We have a strong group of Emergency Communication Nurses (ECNs) out there.”

Gallant not only took on learning the intricacies of ECNS as a registered nurse, but Fivaz said colleagues have turned to her for guidance after she became an expert in the field.

“She is a crucial resource,” he said. “Her contributions extend far beyond teaching.”

She’s part of the tight group of ECNs who meet virtually on a quarterly basis and in person at NAVIGATOR to learn from each other.

“We spend the conference together,” Gallant said. “There’s a small group of us. We pick each other’s brains. ‘Hey, have you come across this?’ You really get to know them well. You definitely stay well connected.”

When Gallant accepted the award, she briefly shared about her journey in the profession including attending the ECNS course during a hurricane that was supposed to stay offshore. Gallant lives on Cape Breton Island, which is connected to the rest of Nova Scotia by a causeway. She had to leave before the ECNS course was complete to get back home before the causeway closed, taking her exam remotely.

“It was a little scary,” Gallant said. “Never a dull moment. We dealt with it and made it through.”

Back to the award, Gallant saw herself nominating someone rather than being nominated by her colleague Operations Manager Wendy Boutilier, so it came as a “complete surprise” to find out she’s been chosen for the award. Gallant was admittedly nervous on stage, in part because of the large crowd.

“I don’t think I realized how big of a deal this is,” Gallant said. “This is the work I do every day and didn’t expect an award for it. This is a tremendous honor. It is one I would not trade.”

And her passion for ECNS?

“It really is about getting the right resource,” Gallant said. “Where is the right place to care for them? ECNS is there as a safeguard for the 911 system as well as when there is a potentially acute symptom and the ECN can get them seen sooner. I feel like ECNS is my baby.”

Best Research Poster
For some people, research might be considered their “baby.” A shout out during the Opening Session had Overton mentioning the IAED study highlighting the difference before and after the City of Cincinnati Emergency Communications Center (Ohio, USA) implemented the PPDS. Research had its time in the spotlight again during the Closing Session when Todd Stout, Founder and President of FirstWatch, and Matthew Miko, IAED Director of Academics, Research, and Communications (ARC), further talked about the impact research has including takeaways from an IAED study that looked into how to direct a caller to turn someone over so they can perform CPR.

“Research is the backbone and has been the backbone since the beginning of the protocols,” Miko said. “That [PFCs] is what is the driver of change.”

The poster “EMD-Assessed Stroke Diagnostic Tool Accuracy” was recognized as this year’s Best Research Poster with Michael Wells accepting the award on behalf of the group of researchers from Montgomery County Hospital District (MCHD) EMS located in Texas (USA) and the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians in Ohio (USA). This year’s Call for Posters received nine submissions that were available for browsing and discussion earlier in the conference.

Wells, with MCHD, was enthusiastic about the difference research can make.

“I just want to say that the research we do is quantifying the excellence of our staff and what they do every day,” Wells said.

Wells understands the importance of research. He started as an EMT in 2013, worked up to paramedic, then field captain, before becoming an EMS data analyst five years ago. His love of data began in college, realizing the impact that research can have on clinical care. Add to his background becoming EMD and EFD certified in the fall of 2024, and he’s set to analyze data in the public safety world.

With some experience in building research posters for NAEMSP and AHA, he decided to move forward with submitting a poster for NAVIGATOR, building on the 2013 Academy research done about stroke. As an independent third party, the research completed adds to the body of research on the subject of stroke and emergency dispatch.

“The goal was to support their (IAED) research,” Wells said. “The initial idea had been bouncing around the office for a year or two.”

Wells encourages others to get involved in the wonderful world of research. It doesn’t need to be complicated like you might imagine. Wells helped put the group’s project and poster together within a few months.

“I work on fits of inspiration,” he said. “Not everything has to be double-blind, randomized study. You don’t always have to have something super fancy. When your stats are simple, they speak for themselves.”

Making research more consumable is a goal that rings true for Well’s philosophy.

“I’m more than happy to work with anyone who is passionate,” he said.

Dr. Jeff J. Clawson Leadership Award
Speaking of passionate people, the group involved in the aforementioned launch of the College of Emergency Dispatch’s new Express Learning Portal, which debuted two months before the conference, was presented with the Dr. Jeff J. Clawson Leadership Award.

Overton, Miko, and a video assist from Dr. Clawson, introduced the recipients—the ARC Learning Portal Software Task Force: Andrew Palmer, Jared Stillman, Hien Cam, Drew Woodmansee, Kameron “Tate” Player, and Nathan Novak.

The groundbreaking, earth-shaking event “definitely warranted this award,” Dr. Clawson said. “The College Learning Portal is worthy of the Academy’s name. Congrats to this team.”

Palmer, Stillman, and Cam made the long walk from the back of the room to accept the award.
“We had no idea anyone was going to do this,” Palmer said. “If you’re afraid to address problems, step up to make a big impact.”

When this became a full-fledged project in May 2023, it was way too soon to understand the incredible difference the new Express Learning Portal would make for those using the College of Emergency Dispatch. Less than two years later, an impressive feat for a project of this size, the team felt an enormous sense of accomplishment as the Learning Portal went live.

“It felt amazing, especially after seeing how hard the team worked to get it ready,” Stillman said. “Everyone really came together and made it happen. We spent that whole week in the conference room, ready to tackle any issues that came up.”

While this group is not used to being front and center, standing in front of the crowd to accept the award was a welcome change.

“It was really nice to be publicly recognized,” Stillman said. “Since most of what we do happens behind the scenes and we don’t often interact directly with members, we rarely get to see firsthand how our work impacts those who use it. It meant a lot to have our work acknowledged so visibly.”

Stillman enjoys the work, especially because team members are willing to help one another.
“My team works hard and truly enjoys building solutions that help our members,” he said.

ACE recognition
But the recognition didn’t stop with the Instructor of the Year, Dispatcher of the Year, CCM, Bill Boehly Clinician of the Year, Best Research Poster, and the Dr. Jeff J. Clawson Leadership Award.

To finish the Opening Session, Aubrey Mahler, IAED Accreditation Specialist, and IAED Accreditation Board Chair Christof Chwojka, took to the stage to honor the past year’s accreditation accomplishments.

“It’s really important to bring them on stage to honor them,” Chwojka said.

The ACE fest began as 116 agencies were invited to cross stage to be recognized by their peers: 23 first-time ACEs and 93 re-ACEs.

REMSA became a dual ACE by adding Fire to their Medical ACE while Cobb County also became a dual ACE by adding Police to their Medical ACE. Notruf Niederosterreich was recognized as part of the tight list of ECN ACEs. A new international ACE was added to the list: the Bahrain Ministry of Interior.
Overton passionately encouraged the crowd to work toward accomplishing ACE.

“I expect to see more of this room on this side of the room lined up as ACEs to cross stage,” Overton said after the last ACE left the stage.

Another perk to being an ACE: attending the invite-only ACE Reception at NAVIGATOR. The crowd gathered outside Wednesday night, April 16 to soak up the rays while talking, laughing, eating, and taking photos. While it was only for a few hours, the connections made can last into the next year while waiting to gather again at next year’s conference.

Gatherings to remember
The Opening Gala on Monday night (April 14) gave attendees a chance to greet those they hadn’t seen in a while, mill through the exhibit hall to see the latest and greatest tools in the field, greet therapy dogs and their handlers, and stop off at the IAED booth to ask questions and grab giveaways.

But the showstopper was Tuesday night’s Attendee Party. This year’s theme was NAVana Nights: Rhythm & Lights, and attendees flocked to the party to kick up their heels and have some fun. They were presented with a tough choice: stay indoors, head outside, or make time for both. Those outside were mingling in the sun, playing lawn games, relaxing, eating, and visiting with the guest bird and handler. Attendees indoors were getting down to live band music, forming line dances, and cheering from the sidelines.

Something you may not have seen before at NAVIGATOR was OnStar’s Escape Room Challenge with the setting as the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Running for a series of dates and times during the conference so attendees could make time to take the challenge, it proved to be a way to test your skills and see if you could beat the escape room.

Keynotes
When Opening Keynote Speaker Neil Pasricha addressed the crowd during the Opening Session, his goal was to infuse some happiness. As the author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation, Pasricha asked the crowd how they show up as their best self every day. He explored what’s getting in the way of happiness and why he started a blog years ago called 1000awesomethings.com.

Pasricha taught attendees about taking two minutes to reflect. In the morning, what will you let go of, what are you grateful for, and what will you focus on? In the evenings, share with someone you’re close to two good things that happened (rose), something that did not go well (thorn), and end with what you’re looking forward to (bud). Top that off by reading two pages of fiction before you go to sleep.

“The goal is to be a little better than before,” Pasricha said.

Adam Timm, from The Healthy Dispatcher, ended the conference with the Closing Keynote address. Overton introduced Timm as “one of us” and pointed out that Timm had dedicated a week to be at NAVIGATOR including the pre-conference portion. Timm is the author of Dispatcher Stress: 50 Lessons on Beating the Burnout, People Driven Leadership: How the Best 9-1-1 Centers Inspire Positive Change, and Stress is Optional! How to Kick the Habit.

His message had some commonalities with Pasricha’s message, bookending the conference.

“Negativity is contagious, but so is positivity,” Timm said. “People are watching you more than you think.”

He asked the audience to think about their biggest burning challenges inside and outside the center while keeping in mind what story you tell and what story your culture tells. Timm shared why he needed to change his own attitude and behaviors in the comm. center.

“I found a reason to change,” he said. “Be a part of driving change rather than being dragged along.”
People might think it’s the responsibility of their leaders to change, but Timm reminded the crowd that 50% of workplace influence comes from those without rank or title.

“We need to be building relationships,” Timm said. “How good are you at investing in your relationships at work?”

He asked those in attendance what specific action they were committing to taking, and reminded them to behave with urgency each day, find opportunity in crisis, and address the toxic.

“The story of your center is being written every day,” he said. “The question is what kind of mark will you make? You got this. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s possible.”

Conclusion
It can be hard to convey the full NAVIGATOR experience in words. During a week celebrating the emergency dispatch profession, 1,650 attendees attended sessions presented by 450 speakers to learn the latest in the field. They also had the opportunity to visit with more than 60 exhibitors.

While experiencing is believing, pictures do say a thousand words. On that note, be sure to check out our 2025 photo gallery: flickr.com/photos/theiaed/albums

Whether you missed attending this year or you were there and can’t wait to be there again, be sure to write down these dates: April 21-24, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada (USA). Enjoy National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (NPSTW) with your agency and then travel to Las Vegas to be with the emergency dispatch crowd for more networking and learning opportunities.

Be sure to check out next year's conference agenda and other details. Registration is now open!