FRANKFORT, KY (LEX 18) — KSP announced Monday that telecommunicators at Kentucky State Police Post 12 in Franklin County will be recognized during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
They will be recognized along with more than 200,000 of their fellow communicators nationwide.
KSP said that these "silent heroes behind the headsets 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,” said Capt. Kidd, commander of KSP Post 12 in Frankfort. “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 added.
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. 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 187 telecommunicators at its 16 posts throughout the state.
Their press release said that in 2017, they handled 519,474 calls. Post 12 in Frankfort has 12 telecommunicators on staff who handle calls from a 7-county area.
The Post 12 telecommunications team includes: Robert Brock, of Lawrenceburg; Chris Cornett, of Owenton; MyKella Crawford, of Lawrenceburg; Megan Smith, of Lawrenceburg; Lori Templeton, of Frankfort; Christy Hendren, of Frankfort; Brittany Wright, of Versailles; Mahala Lewis, of Pleasureville; Houston White, of Lawrenceburg; Derek Hall, of Lawrenceburg; Devin Patty, of Lawrenceburg; and Justin Watts, of Versailles.
To watch a short video about KSP telecommunicators, click here.
For more information or to apply for a telecommunication position with KSP, click here.
