Emergency Communications Centres Qualification and Standards Review

Toitū te Waiora is seeking feedback on six proposed skill standards and the expiry of 10-unit standards.  

Skill Standard Development  

Toitū te Waiora has developed six skill standards aligned to the New Zealand Certificate in Emergency Communications Centres (Level 3) with optional strand in Dispatch [Ref: 3020].  

The skill standards were developed in consultation with Emergency Communication Centre subject matter experts from Fire and Emergency New Zealand, New Zealand Police, and Hato Hone St John, and quality assurance specialists. Consultation on the qualification and standards occurred during May – August 2025.  

It is proposed that: 

• six-skill standards replace nine-unit standards, and  
• unit standard 29615 Obtain and prepare information to support operations from an emergency communications centre is expired without replacement. 

The table below details the skill standards developed and the unit standards to be replaced.

Drafts of the skill standards are available through the links below.

Feedback 

Toitū te Waiora is seeking your feedback on the proposed skill standards.  

Please submit your feedback by Friday 19th September by emailing [email protected]  

Qualification update 

NZQA approved an extension of the review date for the New Zealand Certificate in Emergency Communications Centres (Level 3) with optional strand in Dispatch [Ref: 3020] from September 2025 to December 2027.  The extension was requested by Toitū te Waiora due to: 

• the recent approval of two programmes of study; 

• a planned application for a further programme of study; 

• the lack of graduate data; and, 

• the upcoming development of related skill standards. 

Future recommended changes to qualification GPOs 

During skill standard development, it was identified that GPO 3 does not align with an Emergency Call Centre Operator’s role. In the 2027 review of the qualification, Toitū te Wairoa recommends the following changes: 

• Remove GPO 3
• Increase GPO 5 to 10 credits
  

  ID	Qualification outcomes	Credits	Conditions
  1	Respond to emergency calls using a range of emergency communications technologies, processes, and terminologies.	20	Skill standard 01 Apply emergency communication centre processes and procedures (Level 3) (5 credits) Skill standard 02 Operate emergency communications centre technology (Level 3) (10 credits) Skill standard 03 Demonstrate effective communication skills responding to emergency service calls (Level 3) (10 credits)
  2	Provide appropriate responses to a diverse range of people, in a calm manner, in a potentially life threatening and/or time critical situation.	5	Skill standard 03 Demonstrate effective communication skills responding to emergency service calls (Level 3) (10 credits)
  3	Maintain inter-agency communications and apply knowledge of the protocols for interacting with them to all aspects of an emergency communications centre role.	5
  4	Provide support and information to assist operational personnel during emergency incidents.	5	Skill standard 04 Assess and communicate risks to safety at emergency incidents (Level 3) (5 credits)
  5	Operate as an effective communications team member, and utilise strategies for maintaining personal safety, health and wellbeing.	5 10	Skill standard 05 Manage own wellbeing and contribute effectively within an emergency communications centre team (Level 3) (10 credits)
  Optional Strand – Dispatch
  6	Dispatch appropriate resources to an emergency incident.	10	Skill standard 06 Dispatch resources to incidents from an emergency communications centre (Level 3) (10 credits)