FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OPCD Executive Director Earns
APCO Certified Public Safety Executive Designation
NEW ORLEANS, LA (July 18, 2019) – Orleans Parish Communications District is pleased to announce that Executive Director, Tyrell T. Morris, has earned the designation of Certified Public Safety Executive (CPE) from the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officers (APCO International).
The CPE Program, established in 2016, is designed to elevate professionalism, enhance individual performance and recognize excellence in the public safety communications industry. Participants may be managers, supervisors, agency executives or others whose work and life experiences have motivated them to learn the necessary skills to successfully lead organizations within the complex and ever-changing environment in which public safety agencies operate.
The program consists of two, 12-week online courses and a nine-day capstone seminar at APCO headquarters in Daytona Beach, Florida. To date, there are more than 50 CPE graduates from throughout the United States.
“This is a very proud day for me, OPCD and the City of New Orleans” stated Executive Director Morris. “To be able to complete these courses over the last several months and earn the CPE designation has not only helped me to hone my leadership skills and abilities, but allowed me to pass on the information I’ve learned to my staff at OPCD. Sharing and acting upon this knowledge will make us a more effective team, which then enables us to better serve Orleans Parish and the emergency communications industry, as a whole.”
Drawing on resources from renowned leadership professionals and distinguished academic sources, the CPE program allows participants to explore topics that include management versus leadership, models/theories of leadership, leadership styles, public safety leadership issues, and executing and managing change.
“We are tremendously proud of what Mr. Morris has accomplished, and grateful for his work ethic and drive,” said Beau Tidwell, Chairman of the OPCD. “This certification is another example of his dedication to moving the agency forward, and represents the commitment to excellence our residents should expect.”
About APCO International® (www.apcointl.org)
APCO International is the world’s oldest and largest organization of public safety communications professionals and supports the largest U.S. membership base of any public safety association. It serves the needs of public safety communications practitioners worldwide – and the welfare of the general public as a whole.
About Orleans Parish Communications District (www.911nola.org)
Formed in 1982, the Orleans Parish Communication District is the public safety answering point (PSAP) for all emergency communications via 9-1-1 within Orleans Parish. The agency employs over 140 individuals and provides emergency medical dispatch, emergency fire dispatch, and emergency police dispatch for the millions of annual visitors and residents of the City of New Orleans. OPCD is a member of the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA).
OPCD Contact:
Marcus W. Creel, MS
OPCD Public Engagement Manager
601.319.2024
mcreel@911nola.org
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