Public safety communications professionals are trained to value speed, precision, control, and mastery under pressure. Those same traits that make elite dispatchers successful can also make organizational change exceptionally difficult.
This session explores why highly competent PSAP personnel often resist operational, technological, and cultural change—even when the change is objectively beneficial. Drawing on Cognitive Load Theory, resistance-to-change research, and real-world emergency communications examples, attendees will examine how identity attachment, heuristic decision-making, and cognitive overload affect the adoption of new systems, workflows, and NG911 technologies.
Set against the backdrop of Halifax’s historic Citadel fortress, this presentation combines evidence-based psychology with relatable communications-centre culture and humor to provide leaders with practical strategies for implementing change without undermining morale, performance, or psychological safety.
Participants will leave with actionable tools to reduce resistance, improve engagement, support veteran staff during transitions, and build healthier change-management practices in high-stress PSAP environments.

This session combines real-world experience from E-Comm 911 in Vancouver with facilitated peer exchange to explore how PSAPs can move from downstream participation to active leadership in planning, exercises, and Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) environments. A focused case study on mass casualty call surge planning demonstrates how deeper integration reveals critical gaps in triage assumptions, coordination, and information flow.

Participants will leave with practical strategies—and co-developed tools—to identify entry points, strengthen influence, and advance PSAP integration within their own agencies.

Attendee Profile:
Designed for PSAP and public safety communications leaders seeking to strengthen their influence in multi-agency planning, exercises, and EOC operations by identifying practical entry points, building stronger cross-agency partnerships, and advancing 911 from a response function to a strategic planning partner.