Telecommunicator Awards

PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATIONS AWARDS PROGRAM

(Recognizing Outstanding Achievements in 2009)

The Virginia Chapter of APCO is pleased to recognize the outstanding achievements of public safety telecommunicators within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Awards for 2009 will be announced and awarded at the 2010 APCO/NENA Spring Conference (May 19-21, 2010) in Virginia Beach. Awards are in the categories of Outstanding Individual Performance in a Critical Incident, Outstanding Team Performance in a Critical Incident, Telecommunicator of the Year, Communications Trainer of the Year, Line Supervisor of the Year, and Communications Center Leader of the Year.

Each year, we receive many outstanding nominations in each category. The program is successful because others took the time to nominate those outstanding telecommunicators. Please take the time this year to submit a nomination for an individual or team you believe to be worthy. We hope you will also take the time to pass the word to others in the public safety community in the Commonwealth of Virginia who may not be members of APCO.

General Requirements:

Nominees must have worked in a communications center in the Commonwealth of Virginia or have retired within the last twelve (12) months.
APCO membership is not necessary to qualify for an award.
APCO membership is not necessary to make a nomination.
Nominations will be accepted from any supervisor within the chain-of-command or from any group of three or more co-workers in agreement.

Nominations must be received no later than March 15, 2010.

Specific Criteria for Nomination for Each Award

OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE IN A CRITICAL INCIDENT

The incident must have occurred between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2009.

The individual must have demonstrated extraordinary professional performance during an extremely critical incident.

OUTSTANDING TEAM PERFORMANCE IN A CRITICAL INCIDENT

The incident must have occurred between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2009.

The group must have demonstrated an extraordinary professional team performance during an extremely critical incident.
Teamwork involved must have been the key to successful handling of the incident.

TELECOMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR

The nominee must:

· Exhibit a positive attitude towards all aspects of the job,

· Maintain good relationships with co-workers and representatives of other departments and agencies,

· Have the ability to function as a team member,

· Demonstrate professionalism and willingness to improve personal knowledge of the profession and share with others,

· Be willing to adapt to change, and

· Display exceptional courage, foresight, faithfulness and perseverance in the highest tradition of public safety service.

COMMUNICATIONS CENTER LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD

The Communication Center Leader of the Year Award recognizes the individual responsible for the overall operations of the communications center. The nominee must:

· Serve as a role model and display a positive attitude

· Demonstrate the highest level of commitment to the center’s staff and their professional career development

· Accept constructive criticism and exercise fairness

· Exemplify leadership, integrity, and vision

· Utilizes initiative, creative thinking, and is a team player

· Gain an appreciation for the operational function of the center

· Maintains a good working relationship with all aspects of the Public Safety Community

· Be a good “listener” and solicits input from all levels of the organization

· Be willing to learn new technologies and enhance overall knowledge of the profession

LINE SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

The Line Supervisor of the Year Award recognizes the individual directly responsible for the daily shift operations of the communications center. The nominee must:

· Demonstrate the highest level of commitment to the employee’s on their shift

· Exhibits integrity, fairness, and strong leadership skills

· Coach and encourage the strengths and skills to assist in achieving each employee’s personal best

· Enhance the operation and morale of the center

· Maintain a positive rapport with all aspects of the Public Safety Community

· Demonstrates adaptability while maintaining control in critical incidents

· Lead by example and demonstrated the ability to operate as a team leader

TRAINER OF THE YEAR AWARD

The trainer of the Year Award recognizes an individual whose contributions are instrumental in the excellence and success of a training program within a Public Safety Communications Agency. The nominee must:

· Have a thorough working knowledge of standard operating procedures

· Exercise patience and demonstrate a commitment to quality customer service

· Have realistic expectations and responds appropriately to the specific needs of each employee

· Recognize the importance of thorough documentation and accurate record keeping to ensure certifications remain current

· Consistently plans and prepares for training assignments

· Mentor employees through leadership and enthusiasm with a commitment to their success

· Set a positive and forward thinking tone as well as use of new creative approaches to the ever changing dynamics of the profession

Submission of Nominations

To permit electronic dissemination to the Awards Committee, nominations should be prepared electronically and saved in Microsoft Word or a compatible word processing program or be scanned and saved in Adobe PDF (.pdf) format.

Preferably, save your file with a naming format that identifies the jurisdiction or agency and the last name or team name nominated, i.e.: “Nomination_Fairfax_LastName.doc” or “Nomination_VSP_ShiftA.doc”.

Submit nominations (computer document) as attachments by e-mail to Kathy Richardson not later than March 15, 2010.

You will receive an acknowledgement within 3 days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please confirm receipt with Kathy Richardson.

In the absence of e-mail, computer disks or CD’s may be sent to:

Kathy Richardson

VA-APCO Awards Committee

Operations Coordinator

Charlottesville/UVA/Albemarle ECC

2306 Ivy Road

Charlottesville, VA 22903

For questions or other information, call or e-mail Kathy Richardson (434) 971-1779.