GREEN RIVER — Kimberly Blackwell, a 9-1-1 Telecommunicator at the Sweetwater Combined Communications Center, is among a select group of national finalists in the Smart Telecommunicator Awards, a program which recognizes and rewards 9-1-1 telecommunicators for their contributions to their 9-1-1 agency and community.
Over the past several weeks, colleagues and citizens have nominated 9-1-1 call-takers and dispatchers (Telecommunicators) across the United States. The annual awards program now in its’ 5th year has received hundreds of nominations nationwide, and today finalists were announced to kick off an online public vote to determine winners.
The public can now review the finalist submissions and vote online through April 1, 2016, at 5:00 pm EDT.
This year’s deserving nominees once again illustrate the lifesaving services that 9-1-1 Telecommunicators provide, their dedication, and the stressful situations they encounter.
Kimberly Blackwell has been a Communicator for almost 19 years.
There are too many calls during the time that Kimberly has taken, to list only one that she has gone above and beyond with does not show what kind of person she is. So to add to her long list of calls, her more recent venture of her professional career should also be mentioned.
Shortly after we combined three Communications Centers into one almost four years ago, now dispatching for three law enforcement agencies, two emergency medical service agencies, and seven fire departments for Sweetwater County, she became our Terminal Agency Coordinator.
As a TAC, she is responsible for our Centers NCIC and Local Warrant Validations, Entries, and Training. Kimberly often takes time away from her position as TAC to help cover her co-communicators by taking a radio console, helping take phone calls or answer any NCIC and Local Warrant questions that may arise. Kimberly is dedicated to her co-communicators and profession by being there as a co-worker, friend, volunteering when needed, going above and beyond in everything she does.
The Smart Telecommunicator Award was created, and is sponsored, by Rave Mobile Safety’s Smart911, the acclaimed national public safety service, to highlight the instrumental role Telecommunicators play in public safety. Smart911 will name a national winner and four regional honorees during National Telecommunicators Week (April 11-15).
The national winner will receive a donation of $1000 to the charity of their choice while regional honorees will receive a $500 donation to the charity of their choosing.
Citizens are encouraged to create their Safety Profile with Smart911 today to have their information immediately available to 9-1-1 and to receive emergency notifications.
Smart911 is private and secure, is only used for emergency responses, and only made available to the 9-1-1 system in the event of an emergency call.
Smart911 is currently available in 40 states and more than 1,500 municipalities across the country, and has been credited with positively impacting emergency outcomes including a missing child in which the girls photo and physical description were immediately available to 9-1-1 and responders, as well as a heart attack victim where an address and medical notes allowed responders to be dispatched to his location quickly.
