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When an emergency situation strikes in Sussex County, calling 911 is often the first thing that goes through one’s mind. Immediate action by the fire department and police is crucial in many situations, demanding that emergency operators are on call 24 hours a day.
In an effort to praise the emergency operators in Sussex County for their hard work and diligence, members of the Delaware State Police joined with the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Tuesday, July 1, at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Georgetown, presenting numerous achievement awards to the county workers.
Col. Thomas Macleish and Maj. Harry Downs of the Delaware State Police also gave special thanks to the dispatchers who have helped their department become more effective with their professional service, they said.
“The dispatchers here are really the front line in everything that we do,” said Macleish. “Their efforts to defuse emergency situations and send officials to the right place are very important but they are often easily forgotten by the community.”
“It is great that they are getting awards because every one of these dispatchers deserves them,” he added. “We have a lot of pride in the work that they do here.”
During the ceremony, 11 awards were given to the dispatchers on a group and individual basis.
The winner of the Line Supervisor of the Year Award was Randal Scott Nay. On Aug. 14 of last year, Nay responded to a caller who reported a murder. The call was complicated by the loud sounds of crying in the background and the heavy accent of the person on the phone. In the end, Nay’s professionalism and quickness to regain control of the call allowed him to gain pertinent information for the murder investigation that followed, said William D. Carrow, chief of communications for the Delaware State Police and second vice president for the Mid-Eastern Chapter of APCO.
The runner-up for the Telecommunicator of the Year Award was Jonathan Pearson. On Aug. 20 of last year, Pearson received a call from a female who reported a robbery. The woman, who worked at a bank, was forced back into the establishment after work hours and told to open the vault. The woman’s daughter was outside of the bank and both victims feared for their lives. Nay was able to calm the two victims and explain emergency procedure to both of them while sending a police response.
The D-shift at the emergency center that includes Supervisor Heather Baer, Timothy Finkbiner, Dennis Swain and Bryan Schieferstein received a Unit Citation for their work during a severe thunderstorm last year.
In just two hours, the group responded to 133 administrative calls, 124 911 calls and 81 police complaints.
Ethel Robinson, Brian Dickerson, Timothy Finkbiner, Scott Nay and Dennis Swain also received a special runner-up Unit Citation for their work reporting accidents one morning due to black ice on the roadways.
“This is another example of patience and perseverance from our dedicated 911 employees,” said Carrow.
“We can never show enough appreciation for all of the hard work that is done [by the dispatchers] on a daily basis, added Carrow. “It is great to know that these guys are watching out for us.”
The Sussex County EOC received more than 100,000 calls last year alone. The new operations center located at 21303 Airport Road in Georgetown became operational in April.
For information, call the center at 855-7803 or visit www.sussexcountyde.gov.
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