London, KY. (April 17, 2019) - Telecommunicators at Kentucky State Police Post 11 in London 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. Todd Dalton, commander of KSP Post 11. “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 telecommunicators handle dispatch duties for Kentucky State Troopers, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers, Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Officers and other emergency service agencies. 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.
KSP employs 193 telecommunicators at its 16 posts throughout the state. In 2018, they handled 493,186 requests for service Post 11 has 10 telecommunicators on staff who handle calls from a 7-county area. Last year, they responded to 24,930 calls.
The Post 11 telecommunications team includes: Brian Bullock, Brodhead Joe Jones, London; Angie Helton, Corbin; Angie Matney, Keavy ; Kris Gilliam, Corbin; Doug Jones, Lily; Angie Owens, Mount Vernon; Skyler Taylor, London; Tyler Mccoy, London and David Alsip, Corbin
Photo is of Radio Room Supervisor Brian Bullock