The Basic Telecommunicator Licensing Course is designed to provide the new career Telecommunicator with an understanding of the emergency communications environment, and the core competencies in both emergency and non-emergency situations required by the Commission for licensing. This 80-hour course will start Monday, September 21, 2026 and conclude on Friday, October 2, 2026. The final comprehensive examination will be administered on Friday, October 2, 2026. Two additional dates, Monday, October 5th and Tuesday, October 6, 2026 have been added to this course and designated as Telecommunicator Study Session dates. Tentative Testing Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2026 at TSTC Testing Center Time: TBD Prerequisite: Students must have a current, nationally recognized Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification. This includes, but is not limited to, courses from the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross. The CPR course must be taken in-person and the student must have completed practical scenarios for adult/infant/AED to be certified. The student must have the in-person CPR class reported on their TCOLE report to take the class. Instructor: Tina Chaffin Tina started her career with 9-1-1 in 1996 in Plano, Texas. Over the last 28 years, Tina has worked for small cities, large cities, a county, an International Airport, and a college. Tina worked as a Dispatcher on Demand, filling in for critically understaffed agencies for 18 months. To be an effective trainer, Tina believes it is essential to stay current with the latest trends and technology by continuing to work in the ECC. Tina is extremely passionate about the 9-1-1 profession and advocates for ECPs in many ways. Tina is a past president of the Texas 9-1-1 Trainer (TNT) group and was an active member for over 15 years. Tina founded the National 9-1-1 Trainer Forum, a forum for trainers to attend educational sessions and network with fellow trainers nationwide. The National 9-1-1 Trainer Forum is currently being folded into Training 9-1-1 Heroes. Tina has been involved with APCO International Committees and has published numerous articles in the APCO Magazine. Additionally, she has presented at multiple state and national conferences and delivered the keynote speech at one state conference. Tina firmly believes in recognizing ECPs and urges ECCs to encourage recognition “from within.” She has a free online course and activities to assist ECCs in this mission. In 2017, Tina launched an online training site to provide relevant, high-quality, and low-cost training for ECPs across the United States. Over 19,000 students have taken advantage of online training from Tina’s company, Training 9-1-1 Heroes. There are currently over four dozen continuing education courses available to ECPs. Texas students can also find a study guide to assist ECPs with the state licensing exam.