Virginia’s 2007 Telecommunicator of the Year
Julee Erdman
Public Safety
Communicator III
Fairfax County
Department of Public Safety Communications
The
Virginia Chapter of APCO and the Fairfax County Department of Public Safety
Communications are pleased to announce that Public Safety Communicator III Julee
Erdman has been named the Virginia Association of Public Safety Communications
Officials Telecommunicator of the Year.
Boswell
received this prestigious honor on May 1, 2008, in
The lifeblood of any organization
is employees of quality and distinction; those rare individuals with the
perfect balance of attributes and abilities that serve to sustain an agency and
help it achieve established goals, even thrive, during the hardest of times or
greatest of challenges. In short, they
are some of the best and brightest in the Public Safety profession today and
without them, the full measure of our endeavors’ is greatly diminished. For the Fairfax County Department of Public
Safety Communications (DPSC), Public Safety Communicator III (PSC) Julee Erdman
is one of those rare individuals.
PSC Erdman currently serves on the
“B” Days team, where she functions at an incredibly high level of output. First and foremost, she possess rock solid
technical abilities, which she uses when serving in the specialty skill areas
of Call Taker, Fire Dispatcher, Police Dispatcher and squad level trainer. PSC Erdman knows the policies and procedures
governing operations, has the answers, and finds ways to get the job done
quickly and efficiently, but more importantly, right, every time. This is no small task in an extremely
complex, highly urbanized, combined operational setting. As a result, she is often looked to as an
informal leader and resource by both her peers and supervisors. Whether handling a hostage barricade
situation, verbally walking a co-worker through the numerous Computer Aided
Dispatching (CAD) commands necessary to correctly reconfigure a police dispatch
console, handling close-in support on a multi-alarm working structure fire,
providing upgrade training to a Call Taker wishing to learn Wrecker Service
Desk duties or identifying and volunteering to update outdated training
materials, PSC Erdman deftly does it all with patience, professionalism and
good humor.
It should come as no surprise
then, to know that PSC Erdman is a top to bottom, all around team player,
willing to go the extra mile, voluntarily or when called upon. She is involved in multiple activities and
projects, often pushing herself in several different directions at once. The common denominators that reflect so well
on PSC Erdman are first, that she does so because of an existent need within
the agency and secondly, that she astutely recognizes an opportunity to help or
to grow on a personal and professional level.
No where is this more evident than in her
expressed interest in taking her training skills to the next level so that she
can do even more. To that end, she has
had her eye on and asked to attend the Communications Training Officer (CTO)
Program implemented by our Training Division, as well as an outside course in
Instructor Development.
But PSC Erdman’s dedication
doesn’t stop there. Her training and
certification in the DPSC Hostage Negotiators’ Program, unique to Public Safety
Communications, is a perfect illustrative example of team involvement and
individual challenge. Another fine
example is the numerous times within the last year that PSC Erdman has
volunteered to serve as the dedicated dispatcher for high profile events, such
as Gang Unit special operations. Her
willingness to participate outside of her normal shift hours ensured that
additional undue burden did not fall upon already short staffed midnight squads
who would have had to try and accommodate the need. In similar fashion, at clutch moments when
staffing shortages were identified in advance by DPSC squad supervisors, or
even when they were realized at the last hour due to sick callout, PSC Erdman
has been there for us. She often answers
Emergency Alert Network (EAN) staffing request pages or volunteers to stay and
work overtime with needful squads. Such
selfless gestures have a huge impact, often being the deciding factor on
whether or not someone gets held over or called back and are sometimes the
difference between members of a squad getting scheduled meal breaks or having
to work an entire twelve hour shift without them.
Due to her identified expertise,
demeanor and genuine interest in making the DPSC a world class organization,
PSC Erdman has been heavily invested in contributing to various aspects of the
Strategic Planning Process underway at the DPSC. She served on the committee trying to
determine agency strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) and
currently serves on the Strategic Planning Operations Committee (SPOC). Much of this work gets done outside of
regularly scheduled work hours, requiring long term commitment to ensure
process success. PSC Erdman is excited
about this work and optimistic about the fruit it will bear.
Optimism and “can do” attitude are
but two attributes indicative PSC Julee Erdman and permeate everything she
touches. She is extremely upbeat and
enthusiastic about Public Safety Communications work. As a result, she rarely misses work, and is
always actively seeking ways to improve the level of service provided by the
DPSC. She sees the bigger picture too
though and works to improve the environment and morale of her co-workers in
various ways, such as coordinating the details of squad cookouts and by acting
as a vital, articulate conduit between leadership and her peers. In this last capacity, she has proven very
effective, garnering respect, admiration and praise from all quarters. For her many highly
valuable and solid contributions to our clients, to the DPSC, to her peers and
to Public Safety Communications in general.
Outstanding Individual Performance In A
Critical Incident (2007)
Karen Roy
Communications Officer
Stafford
Sheriff’s Office
On the night of October 19,
2007, C.O. Karen Roy was working the Sheriff’s Office radio with her shift
partners when she dispatched a Motor Vehicle Accident with entrapment on
Interstate 95 at mile marker 140. C.O.
Roy dispatched Delta 112/Deputy Jason Mooney to the call. C.O. Roy’s colleagues working the Fire-EMS
radio had already dispatched Fire-EMS units to the same call and on the Fire
Unit following Deputy Mooney was his fiancée.
At 2117 hours Engine 9 advised the
Fire-EMS radio dispatchers that Deputy Mooney had just wrecked his police
cruiser into a tree on Interstate 95 Southbound at mile marker 142 and was
trapped in his vehicle. C.O. Roy had
been trying to contact Deputy Mooney with information about the MVA he was
responding to but had not received any response on the radio. It was at this moment that the Fire-EMS
dispatchers advised C.O. Roy of Deputy Mooney’s accident.
C.O. Roy immediately notified the Patrol
Supervisor, dispatched other Sheriff’s Office units to the scene, and continued
to perform her duties with professionalism and composure and with enormous
fortitude given the circumstances. She
and her partners continued dispatching other calls for service that were
rapidly coming into the ECC which included an overdose at
C.O. Roy and her partners began coordinating
the posting of other Stafford Sheriff’s Office deputies at the intersections as
to not hasten the response of the ambulance to
Deputy Mooney’s father advised C.O. Roy
that he had been listening to his scanner and had heard the very same
information Karen had received from the other Sheriff’s Office units on the
scene. He also told her that he had
received a call from his son’s fiancée’s mother stating her daughter had called
her from the accident scene screaming.
C.O. Roy had incurred a fate this evening unlike any she could have ever
predicted. She not only was the last
Communications Officer to speak to Deputy Mooney but would no be the one to
speak with his father first about the tragedy that would change his life.
C.O. Roy spoke with such compassion and
respect when talking with Mr. Mooney about his son that it seemed to provide
calmness to his voice. She comforted Mr.
Mooney with her words as she tried to reassure him as best she could that maybe
things were not as bad as they seemed.
She was resilient in the face of such adversity and strife, while also
trying to reach a Patrol Supervisor to call into the ECC and speak with Mr.
Mooney. There is no training scenario
that can prepare a Communications Officer for this type of situation, there is
no amount of On-the-Job training that can help you acquire the communications
skills necessary to communicate such tragic news to a father that will make him
feel at peace, there is only your human spirit, compassion, and empathy for
people that can guide you through at a time as harrowing as this and C.O. Roy
embodied all of these.
We at the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office
and the members of the Emergency Communications Division honored Communications
Officer Karen Roy by bestowing upon her the responsibility of paying homage to
Deputy Mooney by conducting the “Last Call” over the radio at his graveside and
marking him off duty his final time.
Outstanding Team Performance In A Critical
Incident (2007)
On
the morning of April 16, 2007, an entire world watched the horrific events
unfold on the Virginia Tech campus in
The
By
the following day, the immediate crisis of the situation had subsided.
Dispatchers assigned to both the Division Six and the Mobile Command Post were tasked with providing communications assistance between
State Police and the U.S. Secret Service. Several hundred additional State
Police personnel responded to the campus for security details for President
Bush and the First Lady, Governor Kaine and other high ranking officials from
the state.
For
two weeks, the 17 Dispatchers and Call-Takers continued to support state, local
and federal agencies with highly professional communications both at Division
headquarters and Mobile Command post. These communications professionals
continued to serve the citizens of the Commonwealth during these most difficult
times without regard to their personal schedules or needs. Each one willingly
sacrificed their days off to make sure law enforcement and the Virginia Tech
community had superior support and communications capabilities necessary for
such a crisis of this magnitude.
In
the days following the initial event, the Division Six Dispatchers and
Call-Takers continued to work long hours, dividing their time between the
The
immediate response to the Virginia Tech Campus by Virginia State Police
troopers, supervisors, and investigators was unprecedented for the Department.
This incredible response was highly-organized due in large part to the
outstanding team efforts and training of the Division Six Dispatchers. The professionalism
and expert management of this crisis situation by them, was exemplary and of
the highest standard that the department have come to expect.
Deidra (Dee Dee) Sencindiver
Operations
Manager
Harrisonburg-Rockingham
ECC
When
the work began several years ago for 3 communications centers to consolidate,
Dee Dee fought for the things that mattered to the communications field and
that would make the Harrisonburg-Rockingham ECC one of the best. She assisted
in developing a career ladder and promotional process in our department that
gives us all something to work towards. Dee Dee believes in the basics but sees
the ever-changing advancements in this profession and is open to them. She
never expects her staff to do anything that she wouldn’t do; in fact, she took
the initiative to cross train prior to the consolidation so that she would
understand the complete realm of the staffs’ responsibilities. Although not
required for her position, Dee Dee has maintained her dispatching skills and
can perform the functions of a cross-trained dispatcher. During severe weather
or major emergencies, she has been known to grab a headset and get to work,
while still managing her administrative duties during the incident!
Dee
Dee’s commitment to the performance of the HRECC is truly unwavering. In 2006 she stood strong by her mother’s side
in her [mother’s] triumphant battle with cancer while continuing to perform her
duties. Dee Dee then faced the cancer battle with her father and ultimately
lost him to the disease last year. During all the personal hardships, Dee Dee
was ever-so-present in the operations of the center; she continued to support
others and maintained her professional composure during the toughest of times.
She
technically works a “normal” office schedule, but is never really off-duty. Dee
Dee receives an average of 15 calls a week at home, frequently being woken from
her sleep to deal with the emergency of the day. Recently, she received 14 of
these calls in one weekend! Her office is constantly occupied; by an employee
in a personal crisis, by a trainer looking for ideas to help their new trainee,
or by a supervisor wanting to make sure they are doing the right thing. She
serves as a liaison between the HRECC and the departments that we serve, and
works cooperatively with other communications departments across the
Commonwealth; sharing ideas and information. No matter what situation is
presented, she handles it with finesse, tact and diplomacy.
Dee
Dee not only challenges herself but also challenges her staff to strive to be
better each day. She recognizes outstanding performance and is always willing
to battle for what is right. She takes those who have exceptional potential and
helps them develop their leadership skills; building and investing in what
could one day be the future of emergency communications. One of the writers of
this nomination is quoted as saying “I owe my career and the successful path
that I’m on to the leadership and support that Dee Dee has given me.” She is a
role model, mentor, and leader for the young professionals in our field and is
the person we should all want to be.
Line Supervisor
of the Year (2007)
Allison Marshall
Emergency
Communications Specialist III, (Shift Supervisor)
Allison
began working for WFJCC in November 1998, was promoted to ECS II in Dec 1999 And to Shift Supervisor in July 2002. Allison is a true asset to our operations. Allison is a highly motivated and highly
dedicated Emergency Communications Specialist.
Allison’s commitment to her staff and shift is without parallel. In calendar year 2007 Allison worked 336
hours of overtime. She allowed others to sign up for the OT first, but readily
takes the remaining hours out of a sense of responsibility and duty, not to
make a martyr of herself.
Allison
is highly respected by field personnel from all disciplines. Deputies and
Officers have repeatedly told me that when they are on a “hot” incident they
want Allison on the radio; Fire Rescue personnel repeat the same feelings.
Allison’s
shift has the highest performance rating of all four shifts, and the highest
success rate with Trainees of all Supervisors. When we have a difficult
Trainee, I routinely assign them to Allison prior to making a final decision on
their continued employment.
Just
a few comments from some of those who have worked for Allison;
“The first day I was assigned to Allison’s
shift she gave me a written copy of her expectations for her shift members. It
did not matter if you worked for her five days or five years. She had set a
standard of behavior and performance for everyone on her shift and everyone is
held to that standard.”
“As
my training progressed, if I had a question she would give you minute to figure
it out yourself, but only a minute not enough to get someone hurt or to delay
the call. She gave you the opportunity to figure things out first, to not only
build your skills but your confidence. “
“Allison
does not tolerate gossiping, backstabbing or spreading of rumors that is
sometimes common in a
“I
have never heard Allison raise her voice to an employee or a caller no matter
how difficult the situation. Allison treats everyone with respect and expects
the same from her staff.”
“Allison’s
leadership style is to lead by example; she will never ask her staff do to
something she is not willing to do. When we have special luncheons or dinners,
she insists that her staff eat first.”
“She
is such a great dispatcher and always so professional with her employees,
officers, magistrates, and especially the public that it is inspiring to follow
in her footsteps to be the best that I can as well”
“Her
multitasking skills are simply incredible to be on the phone, listen to the
radio and still be aware of what others on the shift have going on.”
“The
best part is that she is not afraid to admit that she is human and that she
makes mistakes just like anyone else, and she is not judgmental when we make
mistakes as well.”
“I
am so grateful to have the opportunity to work for her because I feel she
allows me the opportunity to learn in my own space and time but is there to
quickly help when needed.”
“Allison
has to be one of the fairest most trustworthy supervisors I have ever worked
for and am grateful for the opportunity to do so.”
“Allison
is always pleasant, maintains good discipline on her shift yet makes it a pleasant
work environment.” It is not unusual to hear laughter on her shift during down
time. She never hesitates or complains to take on any new task, or “Oh by the
way job” I ask of her. Allison always provides input on operational or
budgetary issues when asked. Allison also does not hesitate to advise me when I
need to re-think my decisions or ideas. I truly value Allison’s opinions and
input.
Allison’s
certifications include
DCJS
Communications Basic, DCJS General Instructor, EMT-B,
Survival
Spanish, Basic Crisis Negotiations, DCJS Introduction to Supervision, VCIN
Instructor, Suicide Intervention for Dispatcher, FEMA Emergency Management
Hurricane Response and Preparedness (National Fire Academy), ICS 100, ICS 200,
ICS 700, ICS 800, APCO Homeland Security, APCO Comm Center Supervisor, APCO
EMD, APCO Basic, APCO EMD Instructor, APCO Hostage situations and the
Telecommunicator.
Communications
Trainer of the Year (2007)
Terry B. Abbott
Training Supervisor
Henrico Police
Communications
Supervisor Terry Abbott was hired in August of 1980 as a Communications
Officer. She was promoted to Supervisor
in September of 1998. She was transferred
to the Training Supervisor position in January of 2006. She brought to this position a love for her
career, boundless enthusiasm, and a determination to succeed.
One
of her first major training projects was a new “Pilot Program” we initiated. This program trained firefighters and police
officers to answer both emergency and non-emergency calls for service using our
integrated CAD system. Because our
call-takers dispatch priority 1 calls from the call taker positions, they must
also attend the 40 hour
Terry
also initiated a program for the 2 year VCIN recertification on the Mobile Data
Computer’s for the police officers.
Terry worked with the VA State Police for approval to recertify police
officers on-line. She coordinated with
Henrico Media Relations to video a Level C certification and the video is
viewed during roll call. The officers
then take an on-line test from their Mobile Data Computer’s. This solved the problem of having instructors
available three times a day during the month of December to recertify the
officers.
Shortly
after moving into the position, she was involved in her first DCJS Audit. She worked diligently to ensure we
successfully passed this audit, while at the same time preparing a curriculum
and scheduling back to back academies.
CS
Abbott has shown initiative and a “can do” attitude since taking this
position. After attending a Train the
Trainer class outside the Division of Police, she immediately presented a new
evaluation form to the Staff. This form
was approved and has saved the trainers many hours of writing time while still
providing a concise and easily interpreted evaluation. She has worked hard to establish a good
working relationship with the Communications Supervisors that oversee the
probationary employees once they have completed the academy. Her changes with the evaluations and the
distribution of them provide on-going and effective communications between the
floor supervisors and herself.
She
also worked to develop a bond between the probationary communications officer
and their trainer prior to their first day of on the job training. Once she establishes the training officer for
each probationary communications officer, the trainer attends the academy
during the questioning technique class with their trainee. In this particular class there are many
questions, and the trainers are there from the beginning to help their
trainee.
She
currently is overseeing the curriculum and scheduling for our new CAD, which
goes into operation in June of 2008, in addition to ICS training for all
personnel.
CS
Abbott also works many hours of overtime in the center to augment staffing
needs. I have never heard her complain
when she is asked to do just one more thing.
She always volunteers to help with conferences or meetings. She is very organized and focused on the
tasks that must be accomplished to ensure these functions are a success. She accomplishes all these things with her
great sense of humor, her boundless energy, and her naturally friendly
demeanor.
CS
Abbott also solicits and initiates ideas and changes after each Academy. She constantly strives to better the Academy
and thinks “outside the box” in order to accomplish what looks and sounds
impossible.
Communications Officers of the
Virginia Tech Police Department
Lt. Debbi Morgan,
Denise Linkenhoker, & Blake Whitt
April
16, 2007 started as a typical day at Virginia Tech but went in the record books
as the worst massive shooting in
There
are usually two communications officers on duty,
however one of them had requested permission to take the early hours off. Therefore, when this tragedy occurred, there
was only one communications officer on duty.
On
this day as the events unfolded, personnel from this agency quickly pulled
together as a team, put their personnel feelings aside, and immediately had to
focus on the situation at hand.
Following
the shooting, the aftermath continued for days with the support of Public
Safety agencies, not only from the surrounding jurisdictions, but from all over
the state. That response had to be coordinated
by dispatch personnel. That exceptional
and cooperative effort warrants recognition.
Other Nominees
We Proudly Recognize and Call to Your Attention the
Outstanding Work of the Following Telecommunicators Who Were Nominated for 2007
Telecommunicator Awards
OTHER NOMINEES - TELECOMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR
Alexis M. Logan
Tammy Embrey Stafford County Sheriff’s Office
Erin Vanover
Colleen Regan
Devona Lynn Hill Henrico
Kathleen Murray
Kimberly D. Martin
OTHER NOMINEES - OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE
IN A CRITICAL INCIDENT
Walter Bruce Bullington
Sandi L. Shealy
Diane L. Owens
Roger Thomas
OTHER NOMINEES - OUTSTANDING TEAM PERFORMANCE IN A
CRITICAL INCIDENT
Kim Martin Diane Owens
Janie Combs Lorie Saunders
Barbara Burrow Kendal Currie
Daniel Sprouse Ben Nuckols
Amanda Parrish Dawn Drewry
Arlene Sharpe Corina Nuckols
Rodney Gentry Bill Perry
CITY OF
Yulanda
Chapman
Dan Smith Andrew Matney
Cecil Webb Sonya Roman
Ebony Hamlin Missy Banks
Shaul Yitzhak Jessie Andrews
Renee Hunt Sandy O’Brien
Andi Grant Matt Berg
Janet Emory Tracy Dove
Tina Christie Tony Wilkinson
Sandy Hill
FAIRFAX COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATONS:
Bruce Neuhaus Ellen Pittman
RJ Sosna Judith Lassiter
Kathleen McConnell Lee Fair
Muriel Myfelt Deborah Reubens
Other Nominees
– Communications Center
Tammy Murcek
Christopher R. Boehret Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office
Other Nominees
– Line Supervisor of the Year
Cindy Roatch
Cheryl F. Buchanan
Shannon M. White
Tricia Brock
Other Nominees
– Communications Trainer of the Year
Jo Ann Chase
Valerie G. Nickell
Donna A. Will
Joell Dodd Warrenton-Fauquier Joint Communications
Amanda L. Parrish
Kathy S. Berg Richmond Police Department
Carter Millan
Congratulations and Thanks for
your Commitment and Dedication!
