KSP Dispatchers Graduate From Training Academy

FRANKFORT, Ky.— Thirteen Kentucky State Police Telecommunicators from throughout the Commonwealth were recognized on Friday October 21, 2016 at graduation ceremonies for the ninth class of the agency’s in-house Telecommunications Academy.

The Kentucky State Police Telecommunication Academy Class No. 9 graduated on October 21st, 2016. Shown left to right are (front row) Amy Roell, Post 1; Amy Earlywine, Post 12; Amber Cramer, Post 2; Samantha Thompson, Post 12; Stephanie Moore, Post 12; Kenneth Underwood, Post 12 (back row) Roger Bush, Jr., Post 12; Cody Anderson, Post 14; Brandon Tucker, Post 5; Matthew Estes, Post 16; Sarah Stewart, Post 8; Kristyna Del Vecchio, Post 8 and Christina Scott, Post 15.

KSP Deputy Commissioner Alex Payne congratulated the graduates and noted the “critical” role they play in KSP daily operations. “You are the link between the calls for service that come in and the information that is sent out to the field. You connect the dots that help keep the men and women of KSP safe,” he said. “This organization is one big team,” he added. “To a lot of people in the state you may well be the first and last experience they will have with the Kentucky State Police. When you pick up that phone on a day-to-day basis, you are the person in the spotlight who is going to make or break our reputation because that experience will stick with them.”

Representing eight agency posts, the group began its studies on September 12th, 2016 at the KSP Training Academy in Frankfort. The course provided 236 hours of instruction during a six-week period. The curriculum included subjects such as: legal liability, limits of telecommunicator authority, the telecommunicator’s role in public safety, interpersonal communications, customer service, interaction with the news media, stress, ethics and confidentiality, responder safety, basic fire dispatch, state emergency operations plans, criminal justice information systems, cardio pulmonary resuscitation, first aid training, emergency medical dispatch and special needs callers.

The final week of the academy included training on computer-aided dispatch and other databases. To complete the course, the telecommunicators were required to successfully process scripted calls for service and demonstrate proficiency in obtaining pertinent information, dispatching responders, providing emergency medical dispatch if needed and correctly documenting information from the call for service. This training is completed using a computer simulation system to simulate their working environment in the radio room.

The graduates of the ninth KSP Telecommunications Academy included:

Amy Roell, Post 1, Mayfield
Amber Cramer, Post 2, Madisonville
Brandon Tucker, Post 5, Campbellsburg
Kristyna Del Vecchio, Post 8, Morehead
Amy Earlywine, Post 12, Frankfort
Samantha Thompson, Post 12, Frankfort
Stephanie Moore, Post 12, Frankfort
Kenneth Underwood, Post 12, Frankfort
Roger Bush Jr., Post 12, Frankfort
Sarah Stewart, Post 14, Ashland
Cody Anderson, Post 14, Ashland
Christina Scott, Post 15, Columbia
Matthew Estes, Post 16, Henderson

Christina Scott of KSP Post 15 in Columbia was the class valedictorian with an overall grade point average of 95.5 percent.

According to Jason Long, Law Enforcement Training Instructor at the Kentucky State Police Academy, working in today’s emergency services communications center requires a number of qualities and characteristics that are absolutely imperative including:

●the ability to handle very stressful, challenging conditions
●flexible work schedules
●empathy in dealing with others
●the ability to learn and adapt, especially in areas of technology.

His advice to those who may be considering the field as a career? “You need to think hard about whether you are willing to make the sacrifices you have to make. You have to spend time away from your family. You have to work weekends and holidays. With all the continuing training required, there is a big investment of time and you need to be sure you can make the commitment.”

“To be honest, it’s not a job for everyone,” he says. “It is stressful and challenging and some people simply can’t deal with the types of calls and deadly incidents that we have to handle.”

To watch a short video about KSP Telecommunicators, click on the following link:

.be or visit www.kentuckystatepolice .org