FRANKFORT, KY (February 18, 2022) — Today, Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky State Police (KSP) announced that eleven telecommunicators, representing six posts across the commonwealth, have graduated from the KSP Telecommunications Academy.
“Telecommunicators are crucial to the commonwealth. I have witnessed this first-hand during the recent tornadoes and winter storms that impacted our communities. There is no doubt that these newest telecommunicators will be heroes behind the headset when our citizens need them most,” said Gov. Beshear.
The graduates of Class 19 received 160 hours of instruction over four weeks. Major training areas include legal liability, limits of telecommunicator authority, telecommunicator’s role in public safety, interpersonal communications, customer service, combating stress, ethics and confidentiality, responder safety, basic fire dispatch, state emergency operation plans, criminal justice information systems, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid training, emergency medical dispatch and special needs callers.
During the academy, graduates 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 assistance. The training concluded with a computer simulation system that simulates their work environment in the radio room.
“Telecommunicators at state police posts provide a link and a lifeline for the public to vital emergency services,” said KSP Telecommunications Training Instructor Jason Long. “They are the unseen, but often heard, first responders to any incident and provide lifesaving information at a moment’s notice.”
Class 19 graduates and their assigned posts are:
- Logan Smith, Post 2, Madisonville
- Pamela English, Post 2, Madisonville
- Matthew Ray, Post 2, Madisonville
- Darrie Parker, Post 2, Madisonville
- Jordan Thronson, Post 4, Elizabethtown
- Mary Owens, Post 9, Pikeville
- Abbie Carden, Post 9, Pikeville
- Erik Lefevers, Post 10, Harlan
- Ryan Cox, Post 13, Hazard
- Cameron Brown, Post 13, Hazard
- Payeton Fish, Post 16, Henderson
After each class, the ‘Charlotte Tanner Valedictorian’ Award is presented to the graduate who earned the highest-class GPA and demonstrated extraordinary effort during the KSP Telecommunications Academy. The award is named in honor of the founder of the KSP telecommunications program, Charlotte Tanner, who served the commonwealth for more than 50 years as a telecommunicator, radio room supervisor and instructor.
This year’s Charlotte Tanner Valedictorian Award has been awarded to Darrie Parker, with a grade point average of 99.67%.
To apply for a telecommunicator position with KSP, click here, or contact the KSP post nearest to you for more information.
Recently, the Governor announced historic investments to improve public safety, retention and accountability in his recent budget proposal. His two-year budget plan provides millions of dollars to fund competitive salaries for KSP troopers, officers and telecommunicators, supply body cameras for KSP sworn troopers and increase the peace officer training stipend.
The mission of KSP is to promote public safety through service, integrity and professionalism using partnerships to prevent, reduce and deter crime and the fear of crime, enhance highway safety through education and enforcement, safeguard property and protect individual rights.
This year, the number one priority for KSP is creating a better Kentucky by making the commonwealth’s streets safer, communities stronger and the nation more secure by providing exceptional law enforcement made up of a diverse workforce. For more information about career opportunities with KSP visit the website.
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