KACo hosted Russ Clark — Director of Bluegrass 911 and Kentucky’s TERT State Coordinator — on a recent webinar to share about the Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce (TERT) and why it's an essential resource for 911 professionals.
TERT is a mutual aid resource that deploys trained and vetted telecommunicators to support 911 centers during times of crisis. Whether it's a natural disaster, line-of-duty death, or major incident, TERT ensures that emergency communications remain operational and dispatchers have the support they need.
As Russ explained, "It’s not if, it’s when. Disasters are inevitable. " TERT provides fast, seamless support, prevents burnout, and helps protect the long-term mental health of our 911 professionals. To request a TERT deployment, agencies should contact their local Emergency Management Agency, which will coordinate with the State Emergency Operations Center. For direct assistance or to explore joining the TERT team, contact Russ Clark.
Interested in joining TERT? Qualified candidates must meet experience and training standards, including FEMA certifications, KLEC credentials, and agency support. Based on the same mutual aid principles used by police, fire, and EMS, TERT operates at both state and national levels. Deployments can occur in-state for up to a week or out-of-state under FEMA’s EMAC program, which requires a 14-day commitment for federally declared disasters.
You can contact Russ Clark at 859-339-8247 or rclark411@hotmail.com.
Download the meeting presentation here.
View a recording of the session here.
