Beyond the Launch: 911 Customer Success and Implementation Podcast

For our season finale, Max Keenan (Founder, Aurelian) and Scott MacDonald (CEO, GovWorx) join the show to take apart what 911 is, what it's becoming, and what has to stay human.Two founders. Opposite entry points into public safety. One shared North Star: the person in the chair.We cover staffing, burnout, AI in non-emergency, NG911, the myth of the "big bang," and what winning actually looks like ten years from now.They came at 911 from opposite directions.Scott joined the Air Force at 22 because he needed a job, became a firefighter, got assigned to the alarm room on the 1 AM shift, and realized he got more out of taking the call than riding the engine. He built his first CAD system inside Microsoft Access.Max was 22, automating phone calls for hair salons, when a salon owner called a non-emergency line about a blocked parking spot, waited 30 minutes, hung up, and dialed 911. He was lying on a friend's apartment floor because he couldn't afford a hotel room. He didn't know the industry existed he thought police officers answered the phone.Two entry points. Same North Star.A few moments that stayed with me:→ "You train your team as Navy SEALs and you use them as mall cops." A 30% staffing shortage sitting on top of 70% non-emergency call volume. Max called it the greatest misallocation of labor he'd ever seen.→ On why 911 companies fail. Not competition. "It's going to be suicide" — launching things that don't work, selling what doesn't exist. Max told the story of a vendor tapping him on the shoulder at a conference bar after he'd told a prospect "no, it doesn't do that": You should have just said yes.→ On automation math nobody runs. If you automate 30% of your non-emergency calls, you may have just made the other 70% worse. Be a solution, not a hurdle.→ On mental health as an existential threat. Maybe 2% of the population can actually do this job. Eleven known telecommunicator suicides this year alone. You can't stop the call from the mother who found her baby in the pool. You can stop the twelve hours of mandatory overtime every three days.→ On what QA actually costs. One hour and seventeen minutes for a human to review a seven-minute call — covering 2% of calls. Scott's team has evaluated over 12 million.→ On rigidity. One agency has 550 call types in their CAD. A call taker told Max she picks "physical altercation" over "fight" because she knows it gets a faster response. She knows the outcome. The system doesn't.→ On the human in the middle. Scott wrote a blog post about being the person seated between two dinner guests who have nothing in common. That's the telecommunicator — translating panic into something real and durable. Machine can talk to machine. Human still needs a human.→ On what winning looks like. Scott: "If all that's said in ten years is that there's more AI in 911, that's not a win." The win is a stronger profession — better retention, real reclassification, elevated recognition.And the line I keep coming back to, for every dispatcher listening:"The future is happening. Not around you, not without you — but with you."This one runs long and earns it. #911 #PublicSafety #EmergencyCommunications #NG911 #Dispatch #Telecommunicators #AI #GovTech #BeyondTheLaunch

Episode 20: Proposals Are an Operations Problem: How a RevOps Operator Built the System GovTech Has Been Missing | Sophie KatherWhat if your proposal problem is not really a writing problem?In Episode 20 of Beyond the Launch, host Ivan Whitaker sits down with Sophie Kather, Managing Partner of Civic North Consulting, to explore why winning government contracts requires much more than writing a strong RFP response.Sophie brings nearly two decades of experience across Revenue Operations, government contracting, proposals, sales enablement, cooperative purchasing, and public sector strategy. Her message is simple: proposals are an operations problem.Ivan and Sophie discuss how GovTech companies can build repeatable systems around RFPs, improve go/no-go decisions, strengthen capture strategy, use data more effectively, and turn cooperative contracts into actual revenue.They also explore the role of AI in proposal management, why organizations should stop chasing every opportunity, how sales enablement supports government contracting, and why data integrity is foundational to a strong RevOps strategy.If you work in GovTech, public safety technology, government contracting, RevOps, sales, customer success, business development, or procurement, this episode is for you.TIMESTAMPS00:45 Welcome and introduction to Sophie Kather02:53 Recognizing the broken pattern in government proposals04:49 Navigating public sector procurement06:58 How RevOps shaped Sophie's approach08:45 What Revenue Operations actually does09:27 The chaos before an RFP deadline10:57 How to differentiate your proposal12:42 Building a strong go/no-go process14:22 When companies should walk away from an RFP15:07 The top proposal improvement GovTech founders should make16:36 Building a customized go/no-go scorecard17:54 Grant strategy for nonprofits19:33 How AI should be used in proposal management21:17 AI writing versus authentic human connection22:14 Why Sophie built Civic North Consulting23:29 Turning NASPO, GSA, and cooperative contracts into revenue25:59 Sales enablement in GovTech and public safety27:36 What a strong RevOps team looks like29:09 Why data integrity matters31:16 Managing long public sector sales cycles32:36 What GovTech founders need to know before writing33:23 How to connect with Sophie33:59 Closing thoughtsABOUT SOPHIE KATHERSophie Kather is the Managing Partner of Civic North Consulting, helping GovTech companies, nonprofits, and public sector suppliers simplify grants, RFPs, contracts, and cooperative purchasing.Learn more at CivicNorthConsulting.com.KEYWORDSBeyond the Launch, Ivan Whitaker, Sophie Kather, Civic North Consulting, RevOps, Revenue Operations, GovTech, government contracting, government procurement, RFP strategy, RFP response, proposal management, proposal strategy, capture strategy, go no go process, public sector sales, cooperative purchasing, NASPO, GSA Schedule, sales enablement, GovCon, public safety technology, customer success, AI proposals, artificial intelligence, business development, CRM data, procurement strategyHASHTAGS#BeyondTheLaunch #GovTech #RevOps #RevenueOperations #GovernmentContracting #GovCon #RFP #Procurement #SalesEnablement #PublicSector #PublicSafety #CustomerSuccess #AI #NASPO

What happens when a 911 center invests in the latest technology but forgets about the people expected to use it?In Episode 19 of Beyond the Launch, host Ivan Whitaker sits down with Adam Timm, President and Founder of The Healthy Dispatcher, for a powerful conversation about why successful transformation in emergency communications starts with people, culture, trust, and leadership, not technology alone.Adam brings a perspective forged from more than two decades in public safety. After beginning his career as a dispatcher with the Los Angeles Police Department, experiencing burnout firsthand, and ultimately transforming his own approach to the profession, he dedicated his career to helping 911 professionals and communication centers become healthier, stronger, and more resilient.Adam explains why successful technology implementation begins long before go-live, why employees need to be involved early in the process, and how poor communication can create resistance before a new system ever reaches the floor.They also explore the difference between simply deploying technology and achieving real adoption. Login numbers and system uptime may tell part of the story, but the real measure of success is whether dispatchers and supervisors trust the technology, understand its purpose, and believe it makes their work better.⏱️ EPISODE TIMESTAMPS03:08: Adam’s journey from LAPD dispatcher to creating a larger impact in 91105:41: How “The Healthy Dispatcher” was born and why organizational health matters08:13: What people-driven leadership looks like during major change10:09: Why leaders must communicate early, often, and transparently12:49: Why communication professionals can struggle to communicate with each other13:11: How working the console shapes communication habits on and off duty17:16: The biggest leadership mistake during a 911 technology go-live17:36: Why employees must be involved before technology is selected19:24: Creating a better blueprint for technology implementation and change management21:09: Rethinking customer success in public safety technology21:26: Adoption vs. utilization: Are people actually using and trusting the technology?24:28: Why dispatcher satisfaction should become a measurable implementation metric25:17: How better questions produce better employee feedback25:47: Three signs that a 911 center’s culture survived a major technology change29:16: Agency vs. vendor accountability when implementations struggle30:19: Why the human side of change should be built into the project plan32:46: The one leadership principle Adam wants every 911 director to embrace34:18: Why genuinely knowing and caring about your people changes culture36:02: The Healthy Dispatcher: training, consulting, culture assessments, and leadership development38:08: Closing thoughts with Adam Timm🎧 Listen, watch, subscribe, and share this episode with a 911 leader, dispatcher, supervisor, or public safety professional who believes the future of emergency communications starts with its people.Featured Guest: Adam TimmPresident & Founder: The Healthy DispatcherHost: Ivan WhitakerPodcast: Beyond the Launch

Episode 18: Building Partnerships That Stick: How Data, Trust, and No-Cost Models Change the Game in Public Safety Technology | Beyond the LaunchMost people hear “CARFAX” and think about buying a used car. But behind the familiar consumer brand is a powerful set of tools supporting law enforcement, emergency communications centers, and vehicle-related investigations across the country.In Episode 18 of Beyond the Launch, host Ivan Whitaker sits down with John Fisher, Senior Partner Development Manager for CARFAX for Police.John brings decades of public-safety leadership to his role. His career includes serving as Chief of Police in Bedford, Massachusetts; Chief of Police and Emergency Management Director in Carlisle; and 22 years with the Nashua Police Department, where he rose from patrolman to bureau captain. He also spent more than 30 years coaching high school basketball, an experience that continues to shape his leadership and partnership-building approach.Together, Ivan and John explore how CARFAX for Police developed a no-cost data-sharing model used by more than 6,500 law enforcement agencies, why a CARFAX investigative tool is run every 15 seconds, and how Driver Exchange 911 helps agencies manage property-damage-only collisions while keeping dispatchers and officers available for higher-priority emergencies.They also discuss what technology companies often misunderstand about public safety, why successful partnerships begin with listening, and what it takes to introduce new technology in an environment where trust, accuracy, and reliability are nonnegotiable.TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Welcome to Beyond the Launch02:22 – Meet John Fisher of CARFAX for Police03:55 – The public-safety side of CARFAX05:55 – Why agencies use a CARFAX tool every 15 seconds06:52 – How the no-cost data-sharing model works08:45 – Protecting personal information: vehicles versus drivers09:23 – Driver Exchange 911 and how it works12:27 – Reducing low-priority calls in the dispatch queue13:54 – How officers can use the tool at the scene15:09 – Making technology easier for dispatchers to adopt16:40 – Earning trust inside a police department19:37 – Integrating with CAD, RMS, and real-time crime centers22:05 – Building partnerships at the speed of government24:55 – What AI-powered startups get wrong about public safety27:51 – Lessons from NENA, APCO, and industry conferences30:02 – What technology founders underestimate about the market31:12 – Behind the curtain: What’s next for CARFAX for Police32:59 – Closing thoughtsWhether you work in law enforcement, 911 operations, emergency management, GovTech, product development, or partnership strategy, this conversation offers practical lessons about earning trust and building technology that works in the real world.Subscribe to Beyond the Launch for more candid conversations about the work that begins after a product goes live.#BeyondTheLaunch #CARFAXforPolice #PublicSafety #LawEnforcement #911Dispatch #EmergencyCommunications #GovTech #DriverExchange911 #Podcast

Episode 17: From the Headset to the BoardroomHow Lived Experience Drives Meaningful Technology Adoption in 911On this episode of Beyond the Launch, host Ivan sits down with Tipi Brookens, Chief of Public Safety Engagement at Govworx, for a candid conversation about 911 leadership, technology adoption, and quality assurance in emergency communications.Tipi spent 24 years inside emergency communications, starting as a 911 call taker and rising to Chief of Professional Standards and Development and Chief of Staff at Washington DC's Office of Unified Communications, one of the most publicly scrutinized 911 centers in the country. In this episode, she shares what it was like leading through intense media attention and political pressure, why she left a government agency career to join a public safety technology vendor, and how her firsthand dispatch experience shapes her approach to 911 technology implementation today.Chapters0:00 Welcome to Beyond the Launch1:55 Episode intro: From the Headset to the Boardroom2:34 Life in the headset: her first version of herself in 9116:49 Leading inside DC's most scrutinized 911 center11:36 The practitioner turned vendor question16:39 Why she made the leap to Govworx21:19 The case for 100% quality assurance25:13 How Comms Coach changes the evaluation process28:27 What goes wrong in the first 90 days of implementation33:16 Shifting a 911 center's culture around QA38:12 Level Up with Tipi: why Govworx invests beyond the product40:19 Advice for new directors and what's next with PROMOTE44:07 Closing thoughtsTipi and Ivan dig into the real reasons technology rollouts fail in dispatch centers, why 100% quality assurance matters more than agencies realize, and how AI powered tools like CommsCoach are shifting 911 quality assurance from a punitive process to a coaching and protection model. They also discuss the trust gap between 911 agencies and vendors, the supervisor "trust shock" that derails new technology in the first 90 days, and how to build a healthier evaluation culture for telecommunicators. The conversation closes with a look at Govworx's new PROMOTE assessment for 911 supervisors and leaders.This episode is a must listen for 911 directors, communications center leadership, telecommunicators, public safety technology vendors, and anyone interested in emergency communications, dispatcher wellness, or public safety innovation.Topics covered: 911 leadership, emergency dispatch, public safety technology, quality assurance in 911, AI in emergency communications, dispatcher wellness, technology implementation, change management, Comms Coach, Govworx, DC Office of Unified Communications, telecommunicator training and coaching.Guest: Tipi Brookens, Chief of Public Safety Engagement, Govworx Host: Ivan, Beyond the Launch Produced by: Utah Podcast StudioKeywords: 911 podcast, emergency dispatch podcast, public safety technology, 911 quality assurance, AI in 911, dispatcher wellness, 911 leadership, emergency communications training, Govworx Comms Coach, public safety innovation