Communicators Track - Agenda
Communicators Track Agenda and Presentation Information
Please scroll past the agenda to view speaker information.
| Thursday, May 1, 2025 | |||
| Time | Topic | Presenter | Location |
| 6:30am - 4:00pm | Registration | Hall 5 Foyer | |
| 7:00am - 8:00am | Breakfast | Outside Aviation Ballroom | |
| 8:00am - 8:30am | Opening Remarks with the Main Conference Track | Aviation AB | |
| 8:30am - 9:00am | OFM Update with the Main Conference Track | Aviation AB | |
| 9:00am - 10:00am | Keynote with the Main Conference Track | Aviation AB | |
| 10:00am - 10:15am | Coffee Break | Outside Aviation Ballroom | |
| 10:15am - 10:30am | Welcoming Remarks | OAFC Director Fire Chief Jason Whiteley | Aviation C |
| 10:30am - 11:00am | Bell NG9-1-1 Update | Phaedra Van Buuren, Bell Canada | Aviation C |
| 11:00am - 12:15pm | NG9-1-1 & GIS: Empowering PSAPs for Superior Emergency Response | Sharon Koch, Esri Canada | Aviation C |
| 12:15pm - 1:00pm | Lunch | Outside Aviation Ballroom | |
| 1:00pm - 1:30pm | ESWG NG9-1-1 Update |
Justin Gilbert, Barrie Fire Kate Pataran, RapidSOS |
Aviation C |
| 1:30pm - 2:30pm | The Power Within: Strengthening Clarity, Resilience, and Presence for Meaningful Relationships | Charlene Poranganel | Aviation C |
| 2:30pm - 3:00pm | Transitioning to NG9-1-1: Lessons Learned | Sandy Hayer, Mississauga Fire | Aviation C |
| 2:45pm - 3:00pm | Coffee Break | Outside Aviation Ballroom | |
| 3:00pm - 4:00pm | Ask Me Anything | OFCA Executive | Aviation C |
| 4:00pm - 8:00pm | Trade Show | Hall 5 | |
| 4:00pm - 8:00pm | Reception on Trade Show Floor | Hall 5 | |
| Friday, May 2, 2025 | |||
| Time | Topic | Presenter | Location |
| 7:00am - 12:00pm | Registration | Hall 5 Foyer | |
| 7:30am - 8:30am | Breakfast | Outside Aviation Ballroom | |
| 8:00am - 8:15am | Opening Remarks | Aviation C | |
| 8:15am - 10:15am | Change Without Chaos: Staying Agile in NG9-1-1 & Fire Communications | Cindy Sparrow | Aviation C |
| 10:15am - 10:30am | Coffee Break | Outside Aviation Ballroom | |
| 10:15am - 12:00pm | Change Without Chaos: Staying Agile in NG9-1-1 & Fire Communications (continued) | Cindy Sparrow | Aviation C |
| 12:00pm - 1:00pm | Lunch on the Trade Show Floor | Hall 5 | |
| 12:00pm - 4:00pm | Trade Show | Hall 5 | |
| 2:00pm - 4:00pm | Brave Conversations: Transforming Conflict into Connection in 9-1-1 | Cindy Sparrow | Aviation C |
| 4:30pm - 6:30pm | Memorial Service and Reception | Aviation AB | |
| 6:30pm | Hospitality Night - OAFC will promote events happening tonight on our website. | ||
Communicators Track - Presenters
Bell NG9-1-1 Update
Bell will provide an update on NG9-1-1 services and what PSAPs need to know about what's happening and what's coming next.
NG911 & GIS: Empowering PSAPs for Superior Emergency Response
This presentation delves into the critical role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Next Generation 911 (NG911) and how PSAPs can leverage mapping and addressing to enhance emergency response. It covers strategies for advocating better data, navigating common trouble spots, and utilizing thinking tools with real-world mapping examples.
ESWG NG 9-1-1 Update
Presentation summary coming soon.
The Power Within: Strengthening Clarity, Resilience, and Presence for Meaningful Relationships
This session guides participants on a journey of self-discovery that provokes thought, encourages deep reflection, and challenges limiting thought patterns reshaping responses to personal and professional challenges. Through the integration of meditation and grounded awareness practices, participants will discover how to intentionally shift mindsets, master behaviors, and embody presence—empowering them to navigate life with clarity, resilience, and purpose.
Transitioning to NG911: Lessons Learned
Transitioning to Next Generation 911 (NG911) is a critical step in modernizing emergency communication systems. This session provides valuable insights and lessons learned from various stakeholders who have navigated this complex process.
Ask Me Anything
Introducing the new OFCA Executive and seeking feedback on what services you would like to see from the OFCA.
Change Without Chaos: Staying Agile in 9-1-1 & Fire Communications
In a time of constant transition—NG9-1-1 migration, evolving technologies and procedures, staffing shortages, and operational stress—change can feel relentless. Even small shifts can feel like too much. But it doesn’t have to lead to chaos. This workshop dives into the people side of change: why it hits so hard, how it impacts communication, decision-making, team dynamics, and workplace culture—and how we can move through it with clarity, resilience, and intention. You’ll learn powerful tools and strategies to navigate change from the inside out, so you and your team can stay connected, agile, and empowered through it all.
Brave Conversations: Transforming Conflict into Connection in 9-1-1
Conflict is inevitable in 9-1-1—long hours, stress, and constant change create tension that’s easy to ignore but costly to avoid. Most of us were never taught how to navigate conflict in a way that protects relationships, energy, or trust. This session changes that.
Brave Conversations™ is a trauma-informed approach that helps you understand why conflict happens, what’s really going on beneath the surface, and how to respond with confidence and clarity—without forcing outcomes or carrying responsibility for others’ reactions. You’ll learn a practical step-by-step method to speak up, hold boundaries, and create psychologically safe spaces—so your teams, relationships, and culture get stronger, not stuck.
