“Delivering Emergency Services is both a technology and a people business. The technology sets things up, but the people have to deliver for it to be a success. Our goal at Northern911 is to hire high quality individuals and then to ensure they are trained to deliver the highest quality of customer service”
– Mike Shantz, President
MICHAEL SHANTZ
President, Equity Partner
Mike has extensive experience and has filled several diverse roles within the organization over the years. He is passionate about continuous improvement for our clients, callers, and staff. Mike has been an active participant on industry association boards and participates with committees at the CRTC to help shape the regulatory framework for Telecom across Canada and the United States.
TAYLOR SHANTZ
Vice President, Equity Partner
Taylor has over 10 years project engineering experience managing complex $10+ million construction projects. This allowed her to seamlessly transition to her role as Vice President where she spearheads risk management initiatives and manages executive client projects. Her passion for data affords Northern911 the ability to analyze metrics and strive for constant improvement to supply the highest level of customer service for our clients.
CINDY SCHROEDER
Vice President, Northern911
As Vice-President, Cindy leads a dynamic team responsible for Northern911’s operations. Cindy started as a front-line call taker and grew with the company actively improving operational performance and practices. In her current role, Cindy is focused on delivering efficient, precise, and professional services to our clients and the public. She plays an active role in Canadian Regulatory committees to develop industry best practices and to better serve the public.
KEVIN BUCKLAND
Director Of Emergency Services
Kevin brings a wealth of management and leadership expertise, successfully navigating various roles within the organization. His passion for both his colleagues and the company is evident, and his unwavering commitment to continuous improvement is infectious. Supported by the diverse experience and complementary skill sets of our team, Kevin’s shared goal at Northern911 propels us to deliver next-level service to our clients.
JIM WHITEHEAD
Chief Technology Officer
Jim Whitehead, Chief Technology Officer, brings over two decades of experience as a technical analyst and cybersecurity expert. His commitment to the evolving landscape of technology has earned him a well-deserved reputation as a seasoned technical analyst, known for his commitment to excellence.
ANNICK TROTTER
Technical Solutions Manager
Annick, an Emergency Services professional since 2006, has trailblazed her way to the position of Technical Solutions Manager at Northern911 through her distinguished career trajectory. As a growth-oriented leader, she actively engages in industry groups like NENA and APCO, exemplifying her commitment to shaping the future of emergency services. Annick leads Northern911’s transition to NG9-1-1 and oversees call handling solutions for the Northern Group, demonstrating expertise and dedication to ensuring service excellence in critical initiatives.
RENEE MAROLT
Manager Of Sales And Client Services
With nearly two decades of invaluable experience, Renée has cultivated a profound understanding of the intricacies of telecommunications and emergency services. Her unwavering commitment to clients shines through her proactive initiatives and customized client integrations. In her role, she serves as a pivotal technical resource, ensuring that her team provides clients with the highest level of support and innovation.
ANGELA VIIANEN
Manager Of Operations
Angela manages various teams within Northern911 to implement new and existing procedures that are directly related to training and employee development. She started with the company in 2011 and grew through various roles by assisting to develop, implement, and streamline various tasks. By keeping current on operational activities, Angela focuses on presenting new and existing information from a call taking perspective to deliver professional and quality service to the client.
Training Programs
Initial and ongoing training is essential to our mission. Northern911 ensures that our call takers have the knowledge and abilities to meet the demands of this critical work. Our rigorous initial training plan is designed to gradually introduce new employees to the many services we provide. Each trainee undergoes customized in-house training. Depending on their role within the organization they may receive APCO Public Safety Telecommunicator and CSAA Central Station Operator training to ensure that we meet or exceed industry standards. Our continuous learning programs ensure we continue to meet the highest level of quality service.
Documented Policies and Procedures
All of our standard procedures are documented and scripted so that call takers can refer to the script guidelines as they are answering calls. Through the latest technology, scripts appear automatically on the computer screen depending on the type of call handled. Through role playing, both common and rare circumstances that might happen are rehearsed and documented. Through these various training methods our staff is prepared and ready for any situation that might occur.
Quality Control and Integrity Checks
All calls are recorded and supervisors perform QA checks on two random calls on a bi-monthly basis from each Call Taker on each aspect of the department to ensure that they are performing to company standards. Bi-weekly written knowledge tests ensure that our Call Takers are current and up-to-date on all our processes, even ones that happen rarely. Furthermore, to ensure that our services work from start to finish, scheduled testing of equipment, data and procedures is performed on a regular basis. Our goal is to be sure that our systems and our client’s operations are performing 100% to expectations!
Translation Services
Language should not be a barrier when an emergency arises. As Northern911 serves clients around the world, we are required to converse with many different languages. While our in-house operators are bilingual in French and English, we do not have internal language capabilities in all languages. For this reason, Northern911 subscribes to a simultaneous translation service. Through this facility we can communicate in over 170+ languages!
When we receive an emergency call, we quickly determine if it is in a language available internally. If not, we immediately call the translation service and are connected to a translator. With the translator’s assistance, we can respond to the caller’s needs.