OnStar has worked alongside First Responders for decades and provides training tools to help ensure that public safety personnel on the front lines are familiar with OnStar emergency services, technologies and processes, and how they can assist in an emergency incident.
The OnStar Public Safety Training self-paced online course covers key OnStar features, processes and information to assist First Responders on the job. The interactive, narrated course runs approximately one hour and is available at no charge. It is also approved for one hour of continuing education credit for Emergency Communications Center (ECC) staff and provides a printable certificate of completion at the end of the training.
During the course, several review questions and a short quiz at the end help participants retain the information presented. Some of the key topics described in the course include:
- How OnStar Works, offering an explanation of how the system works, service requirements, and an overview of OnStar’s Emergency-Certified Advisors1, process and supporting tools.
- Emergency SOS Button and what happens when it is pressed, including the type of information OnStar’s Emergency-Certified Advisors1 receive and how they use that information to validate and triage incidents before contacting an ECC.
- Automatic Crash Response, with precise location, vehicle description and critical crash data, including air bag deployment, direction of impact and Injury Severity Prediction that can assist with dispatch and patient transport decisions.
- OnStar Guardian App2 and its ability to deliver key OnStar safety features at any time through a smartphone, in or out of any vehicle during a crash or emergency, using the same Advisors, call-handling and triage processes as the in-vehicle system.
- Vehicle Location Assistance — Using GPS technology, OnStar can help law enforcement locate stolen vehicles and help prevent pursuits with Remote Ignition Block and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown.
You’ll learn more about the role of OnStar Advisors and the call-handling process they follow when working with First Responders. There also are downloadable guides covering OnStar features as well as information about how OnStar can aid in criminal investigations and records requests.
Those who have taken the course have found it beneficial, according to a post-course survey. The survey results showed:
More Training Resources
Additional valuable resources are available to you via the OnStar Public Safety website, including informational handouts for reference, outlined protocols and procedures, videos and more. Also, be sure to check out OnStar’s Public Safety Interactive Virtual Platform, which gives an online tour of OnStar’s safety and security features. You’ll find videos and overviews of features such as Automatic Crash Response, Stolen Vehicle Assistance, OnStar Guardian and more that can be used for roll call or shift change.
You can also access additional information on GM vehicles, including electric vehicles and extrication information, on GM’s Service Technical College site.
- Emergency-certified Advisors are certified by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch.
- U.S. and Canada only. Available on select Apple and Android devices. Mobile Crash Response services are intended for use in select vehicles only and can connect automatically on Android devices only. Service coverage varies with conditions and location. Service availability, features and functionality vary by device and software version. OnStar Guardian service plan (stand-alone plan, add-on plan or plan that includes the service), cell reception, GPS signal, and device data connection required. Terms apply. Device permissions are required for app to operate properly. OnStar links to emergency services. Device and app may not transmit all crash data. See onstar.com for details and limitations. Pricing and availability subject to change. You may cancel at any time by calling 1.888.4ONSTAR (1.888.466.7827).
