FRANKFORT, Ky. — Nine Kentucky State Police telecommunicators from throughout the commonwealth were recognized Friday October 19, 2018 at graduation ceremonies for the thirteenth class of the agency’s in-house telecommunications academy.
The Kentucky State Police Telecommunications Academy Class 13 graduated on Oct. 19, 2018 in Frankfort. Shown left to right are: Zakkary West, Post 12 Frankfort; Danielle Fox, Post 8 Morehead; David Bledsoe, Post 10, Harlan; Kayla Engle, Post 5 Campbellsburg; Justin Johnson, Post 9 Pikeville; Tanya Rose, Post 2 Madisonville; Kayla Howard, Post 5 Campbellsburg; Jane Worley, Post 1 Mayfield and Christopher Sanderson, Post 1 Mayfield.
Danielle Fox, of Kentucky State Police Post 8 in Morehead (left), received the Leadership Award for KSP Telecommunications Academy Class 13.
Kayla Engle, of KSP Post 5 in Campbellsburg (right), was the class valedictorian with an overall grade point average of 99.08 percent.
Lt. Col. Jeremy Slinker, director of the KSP Operations Division, a former telecommunicator himself, told the graduates that their role can be very fulfilling and also very challenging. “Many times, the people you talk with will be having a bad day,” he said. “You’ll deal with a wide range of emotions, but on someone’s worst day, you’ll get to help them out and that’s fulfilling. It’s a very admirable and honorable career.”
Representing seven agency posts, the group began its studies on Sept. 10, 2018 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.
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 thirteenth KSP Telecommunications Academy included:
Christopher Sanderson, Post 1 Mayfield
Jane Worley, Post 1 Mayfield
Tanya Rose, Post 2 Madisonville
Kayla Engle, Post 5 Campbellsburg
Kayla Howard, Post 5 Campbellsburg
Danielle Fox, Post 8 Morehead
Justin Johnson, Post 9 Pikeville
David Bledsoe, Post 10 Harlan
Zakkary West, Post 12 Frankfort
Kayla Howard of Post 5 in Campbellsburg was the class valedictorian with an overall grade point average of 99.08 percent.
The Class #13 Leadership Award was presented to the student who goes above and beyond to get tasks completed. This student is one who takes charge and takes responsibility for the class. The Class #13 Leadership Award was presented to Danielle Fox, Post 8 Morehead.
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:
