National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (April 14-20)
HICKORY, Ky. (April 15, 2019) Telecommunicators at Kentucky State Police Post 1 in Mayfield will be recognized along with more than 200,000 of their fellow communicators nationwide April 14-20 during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
These silent heroes of public safety are more than just a voice on the other end of the line. They often save lives on a daily basis.
“KSP telecommunicators are challenged on a daily basis dealing with stressful situations, many that involve life and death, and they are expected to handle these situations with compassion, empathy and professionalism,” says Capt. Jerry Handy, commander of KSP Post 1 in Mayfield. “They must be at their BEST while dealing with people who may be at their WORST in many cases. People don’t usually call them for help when they are having their best day. By the nature of the business, they deal with people who have been victimized or need medical assistance. They may be threatening and belligerent, or in some cases, not able to communicate at all, other than dialing 911 with their last bit of strength, in an attempt to get help.”
“Telecommunicators provide a lifeline for the public as well as law enforcement and other emergency service professionals who rely on them for critical communications, information and follow up to ensure that they are and remain safe from harm,” he adds.
KSP employs 193 telecommunicators at its 16 posts throughout the state. In 2018, they handled
493,186 calls. Post 1 in Mayfield has 19 telecommunicators who handled more calls from an 11-county area, than any other post in the state. KSP Post 1 telecommunicators handle dispatch duties for Kentucky State Troopers, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers, Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Officers, Graves County SO, Lyon County SO, Mayfield PD, Eddyville PD, Eddyville FD, Kuttawa FD, and dozens of local volunteer fire departments and rescue squads. In addition, KSP Post 1 is the public service answering point for all 911 calls in Ballard, Hickman, Fulton, Graves, and Lyon County. Some of their duties include calling wrecker services, notifying channels of administration, running license plate and driver’s license numbers, running criminal histories and notifying family members while continuing to answer new calls and handling other radio traffic.
The Post 1 telecommunications team includes: Communication Supervisor Heather Farmer; Shift Supervisor Ginger Hunt, and Tracy Lynch, Telecommunicator II: Debbie Craven, Tambra Sheridan, Kim Newsome, Ashley Gore, Alaina Ramage, Brandon Crews, Amanda Coles, Bryan Mack, Alisha Cooper, Jerry Beasley, McCall Buckingham, Telecommunicator I; David Brandon, Tonya Whitehair, Andrea Howe, Amanda Curnell, and Dylan Craven.
Post 1 has had three telecomminucators that went on to become Troopers over the years, Captain Kyle Nall, Lieutenant Dean Patterson, and Trooper Tony Cornwell. For more information or to apply for a telecommunications position with KSP, log on to the state personnel website at www.personnel.ky.gov