Toby Akers Jr, Cmcp Email & Phone Number

I am a galvanizer, gaining energy from empowering individuals to follow their passions and discover new skills and abilities. I have the honor of serving as 911 Training Coordinator for the City of Roanoke. Our department is dedicated to excellence. We are a CALEA accredited department and our training program is APCO P33 certified. Before my time at the City of Roanoke, I served the New River Valley Emergency Communications Regional Authority (NRV 911) as a Communications Officer. During this time, I have taken many opportunities to follow my passion and expand my knowledge by completing several courses on my own, including NENA's Center Manager Certification Program (CMCP), 911 Center Supervisor, and the Excellence in Dispatch Certification. These prepared me to take the next step in my career and be selected as a Training Coordinator. Beyond my service at the city, I serve as Chair for APCO International Bylaws Committee. I also am the Founder of The Tenacious Telecommunicator, an organization that focuses on training and recognizing public safety telecommunicators. These roles have allowed me to develop and deliver nationwide training courses at public safety communications conferences. My public safety experience extends beyond my time under the headset. I began this journey by becoming a volunteer with Christiansburg Rescue. Later I was given the opportunity to serve as the Membership Lieutenant. In that role, I led a high-performing team tasked with overseeing the new member orientation and clearance from probation. Our team experienced many successes due to our non-conventional recruitment efforts and overhaul of our orientation process, which resulted in a 14% increase in volunteer membership in just one year. I have also served in various leadership positions for the Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads. Most notably, I served as the State Training Officer, managing and coordinating a statewide education program with 30 certification courses and over 100 volunteer instructors. My most significant contribution in this role was leading the program through the uncertainties of the COVID-19 Pandemic and creating a training policy manual to enhance program effectiveness. When I served as a Security Center Representative at Virginia Tech Police Department, one of the highlights was being tasked by Chief Foust to assist my supervisor in redeveloping the employee training manual and materials for new employees.