Answering the Call: Profiles in 9-1-1 Innovation and Excellence – Michael Loiz, Stratford Public Safety Communications

In this month’s Profiles in 9-1-1 Innovation and Excellence, we’re excited to feature Michael Loiz, Director for Stratford (CT) Public Safety Communications. Director Loiz has been described as an “intelligent, visionary, forward-thinking and compassionate leader whose invaluable guidance, mentoring, and positive attitude make a stressful job an enjoyable experience.” As an instructor for the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch, Director Loiz is highly knowledgeable about the science and art of emergency dispatch.

Additionally, under his guidance, the Stratford 9-1-1 center implemented new quality assurance measures and as a result was able to improve call answer times by ten percent. Working alongside his team, he was also instrumental in opening a dispatch training center for the region. The center has earned a reputation for high quality dispatch education, with more than 100 students successfully completing training classes. Those who work with and for Director Loiz stress that he cares more about the successes of others than taking any credit himself, so we wanted to recognize him here. Recently I had an opportunity to ask him about his long career in public safety and his thoughts on what it takes to be an effective 9-1-1 center director.

What attracted you to a career in public safety communications?

Prior to joining the Stratford Public Safety Communications center, I was a field paramedic for 8 years and an operations supervisor for two years with a large commercial service that operates in the largest urban city of Connecticut. My career in public safety spans a total of 28 years. Early in my career, I was looking to get into a role where I could start taking on my own projects and seeing them through. I was given the opportunity to switch gears a bit and go into the dispatch center as a supervisor to oversee training and Quality Improvement (QI), and to help the center pursue National Accreditation. This was a tall order as the center is a very large 25 position statewide dispatch center. I fell in love with public safety communications right away. I learned a lot and got credentialed in everything I could at the time, eventually becoming an EMD instructor, a telecommunicator instructor and the regional manager of AMR for CT and Mass. This also opened me up to the emergency management field because communications and EOC management are an easy link.

In your opinion, what are the most important qualities needed to be a successful 9-1-1 center director?

I think this is such an important question. All too often, 9-1-1 center managers and directors are chosen because their position rotates through the dispatch center. They are chosen because they are the loudest about whatever perceived problem they feel the center has or because it’s just easier to put the center under the wing of a specific field unit. The 9-1-1 center (and the people who work in it) are the hub of the wheel, and it can be a very stressful environment. A good manager/director needs to be flexible and understanding but also needs a great deal of commitment and integrity. They need to understand the people, the processes and the technologies well. If you can support your people with good training, processes and tools, it doesn’t matter what your center looks like; the center will run the way it’s supposed to. A good manager/director also needs to be data/root cause-driven and needs to be able to think outside of the box. While they have a role inside the center, they’re also the face of the center to the outside world and need to be able to present the center in a way the instills trust and calm.

What is your most memorable career experience?

I was part of a large contingent of field EMS assets sent to the 9/11 attacks. This was as big as it gets and anyone who was there knows what I mean. It was beyond description and very memorable for so many reasons. I spent approximately 24hours there. Last year, I went back for the first time since the attacks and it was very emotional. The most significant thing I learned during this event is that public safety communications are key and if you don’t have effective public safety communications or if they are not used correctly, that can erode your ability to effectively manage an event. I have taken that with me ever since and used it in both my field and communications roles.

What do you most love about what you do?

I love Interacting with so many different kinds of people who all have different interests and agendas. It keeps things interesting. I also love learning about and considering the way people think. Finally, I love helping and watching people grow and evolve in their own capabilities.

Are there any really exciting projects or initiatives you’re currently working on in your 9-1-1 center that you’d like to share?

Our center is actively pursuing International Accreditation for EMD and will also be seeking to replace its console surfaces this year.

What advice would you have for others thinking about a similar career path?

Learn everything you can about your staff, their active needs, what they do, and how they do it. Learn everything you can about mining data from your systems and what the data says about your center, its field systems, and center services. Allow the data, not emotions, to drive meaningful change. You must be consistent and transparent. You must be honest.

Know someone who’s making an impact in emergency communications who you’d like to see featured in a future Profiles in 9-1-1 Innovation and Excellence blog? Send your suggestions to me at linda.haelsen@nice.com.