PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATIONS AWARDS PROGRAM
(Recognizing Outstanding Achievements in 2008)
The Virginia Chapter of APCO is pleased to recognize the
outstanding achievements of public safety telecommunicators within the
Each year, we receive many outstanding nominations in each
category. The program is successful because others took the time to nominate
those outstanding telecommunicators.
Please take the time this year to submit a nomination for an individual
or team you believe to be worthy. We
hope you will also take the time to pass the word to others in the public
safety community in the
General Requirements:
- Nominees
must have worked in a communications center in the
- APCO membership is not necessary to qualify for an award.
- APCO membership is not necessary to make a nomination.
- Nominations will be accepted from any supervisor within the chain-of-command or from any group of three or more co-workers in agreement.
- Nominations must be received no later than March 15, 2009.
Specific Criteria for Nomination for Each Award
OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE IN A CRITICAL INCIDENT
- The incident must have occurred between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2008.
- The individual must have demonstrated extraordinary professional performance during an extremely critical incident.
OUTSTANDING TEAM PERFORMANCE IN A CRITICAL INCIDENT
- The incident must have occurred between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2008.
- The group must have demonstrated an extraordinary professional team performance during an extremely critical incident.
- Teamwork involved must have been the key to successful handling of the incident.
TELECOMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR
The nominee must:
· Exhibit a positive attitude towards all aspects of the job,
· Maintain good relationships with co-workers and representatives of other departments and agencies,
· Have the ability to function as a team member,
· Demonstrate professionalism and willingness to improve personal knowledge of the profession and share with others,
· Be willing to adapt to change, and
· Display exceptional courage, foresight, faithfulness and perseverance in the highest tradition of public safety service.
COMMUNICATIONS CENTER LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD
The Communication Center Leader of the Year Award recognizes the individual responsible for the overall operations of the communications center. The nominee must:
· Serve as a role model and display a positive attitude
· Demonstrate the highest level of commitment to the center’s staff and their professional career development
· Accept constructive criticism and exercise fairness
· Exemplify leadership, integrity, and vision
· Utilizes initiative, creative thinking, and is a team player
· Gain an appreciation for the operational function of the center
· Maintains a good working relationship with all aspects of the Public Safety Community
· Be a good “listener” and solicits input from all levels of the organization
· Be willing to learn new technologies and enhance overall knowledge of the profession
LINE SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
The Line Supervisor of the Year Award recognizes the individual directly responsible for the daily shift operations of the communications center. The nominee must:
· Demonstrate the highest level of commitment to the employee’s on their shift
· Exhibits integrity, fairness, and strong leadership skills
· Coach and encourage the strengths and skills to assist in achieving each employee’s personal best
· Enhance the operation and morale of the center
· Maintain a positive rapport with all aspects of the Public Safety Community
· Demonstrates adaptability while maintaining control in critical incidents
· Lead by example and demonstrated the ability to operate as a team leader
TRAINER OF THE YEAR AWARD
The trainer of the Year Award recognizes an individual whose contributions are instrumental in the excellence and success of a training program within a Public Safety Communications Agency. The nominee must:
· Have a thorough working knowledge of standard operating procedures
· Exercise patience and demonstrate a commitment to quality customer service
· Have realistic expectations and responds appropriately to the specific needs of each employee
· Recognize the importance of thorough documentation and accurate record keeping to ensure certifications remain current
· Consistently plans and prepares for training assignments
· Mentor employees through leadership and enthusiasm with a commitment to their success
· Set a positive and forward thinking tone as well as use of new creative approaches to the ever changing dynamics of the profession
Submission of Nominations
To permit electronic dissemination to the Awards Committee, nominations should be prepared electronically and saved in Microsoft Word or a compatible word processing program or be scanned and saved in Adobe PDF (.pdf) format.
Preferably, save your file with a naming format that identifies the jurisdiction or agency and the last name or team name nominated, i.e.: “Nomination_Fairfax_LastName.doc” or “Nomination_VSP_ShiftA.doc”.
Submit nominations (computer document) as attachments by e-mail to Denise Torelli not later than March 15, 2009.
You will receive an acknowledgement within 3 days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please confirm receipt with Denise Torelli.
In the absence of e-mail, computer disks or CD’s may be sent to:
Denise Torelli
VA-APCO Awards Committee
Fairfax County Department of Public Safety Communications
For questions or other information, call or e-mail Denise Torelli (703) 280-0640.
Forms and Guidelines
Nomination Form for 2008 Awards Program (Due March 15, 2009)
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