Thunder Bay Police Service (Thunder Bay, Canada), facing ongoing staffing shortages, set up a recruitment booth at a busy local market. Two experienced communications operators staffed the booth, answered questions from the public, and brought a secret weapon:
As the first Police Service in Canada to use the ThisGen 911 platform, they logged into the training system and invited visitors to "test drive" the job.
Hands-On Experience, Not Brochures
Using AI-driven mock 911 calls, visitors were able to:
- Take simulated emergency calls that sounded and felt close to the real thing
- Practice gathering key information under pressure with different caller types and challenges
- Get immediate feedback on how they did—the good, the great, and the not-so-great too
The result: it turned their recruitment booth into an interactive experience rather than just a stack of brochures.
Many people came to the market specifically to try the simulator and see if they had what it takes to be a 911 telecommunicator. When the center posted about the event on social media and highlighted the platform at the booth, it drew even more attention—including local media interest.
The Results
By the end of the day, the center had:
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Strong candidates identified | 8 |
| Candidates who applied | 5 |
| Passed CritiCall testing | 5 |
| Scheduled for interviews | 5 (the following week) |
"All-in-all, it was a really good event. ThisGen 911 definitely pulled people in."
— Megan Petzel, Communication Centre Manager, Thunder Bay Police Service
More Than Training
For centers struggling with staffing, the ThisGen 911 platform can do more than build skills. It can:
- Bring transparency to what the job is really like
- Pre-screen potential hires in a low-stakes, high-insight way
- Turn community events into hands-on recruiting opportunities
It's so much more than training or a classroom resource. It's a way to shine a light on the vital work you do every day—and invite the right people to join you.
Interested in using ThisGen 911 for recruitment events? Book a demo to learn how.