KDOCJT graduates 24 dispatchers

Class 108** graduates and their agencies are: Valerie Jean Baker, Russell County 911, Julie M. Begley, Madison County E-911, Randi Nicole Caldwell, Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, Shadia Carter, Madison County E-911, Taylor Nicole Chase, Henderson Police Department, Joshua C. Childers, Jackson Police Department, Dale Cremeans, Boyd County PSCC 911, Elizabeth Garland Lynn, Murray State University Police Department,*Kelli Michelle Gilliam, Ballard County E-911,Chrystal D. Greathouse, Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, S. Paul Hamilton, Jr., Lexington E-911, Amy B. Highley, Hardin County E-911 Jordan T. Madden, Greenup County E-911,Ryan M. McGill, Boone County PSCC,Aaron D. O’Neal, Marion Police Department, Jacob L. Perry, Bell County Dispatch, Katrina LeAnn Shouse, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Tyler C. Smith, Boone County PSCC, Carly M. Speck, Logan County E.C.C., Danielle L. Sweeney, Cincinnati/Northern Ky. Airport Police Department, Joshua D. Waits, Madison County E-911, Juanita Wells, Barren/Metcalfe County 911, *Dalen Andrew Winkleman, Elliott County Dispatch, Quintin Wright, Logan County E.C.C. *Denotes graduate of 165.5-hour Non-CJIS Public Safety Dispatch Academy

RICHMOND, Ky. – Public Safety Dispatch Academy at the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training (KDOCJT) is announcing the recent graduation of 24 law enforcement dispatchers from the Academy. Jordan Madden, of the Greenup E-911 Center was among the graduates.

The graduates hail from communications centers across the state, and comprise DOCJT’s 108th telecommunications academy class, which first began in 1999, according to a news release from the KDOCJT.

Buford Hurley, director of the Greenup County E-911 Center in Greenup, Ky., said the Public Safety Telecommunications Academy is a valuable program.

“It is a really good program. They go over a variety of things that they can use in their daily skills at the dispatch center,” Hurley said. “What you do is take what they have learned, and have been taught there, and then bring it back and apply it in that manner at the dispatch center.”

The program is mandated by the state of Kentucky for all dispatchers, according to Hurley. Dispatch basic training is mandatory for any sworn or civilian employee who will dispatch law enforcement officers by radio at a Criminal Justice Information Systems agency.

“In Kentucky, along with our eight-week in-house program that we have at the 911-Call Center, the state of Kentucky also has a requirement for dispatchers,” he said. “Dispatchers are also required to go to a five-week Public Safety Telecommunications Academy at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky. They stay there for five weeks and come home on weekends. Jordan just graduated, and we have another person there right now who started this week. They were both already on the staff, and are new hires.”

Additionally, K DOCJT also provides in-service and leadership training for Kentucky public safety dispatchers and law enforcement officers. Officials from KDOCJT also stated that the five weeks of training consisted of 205 hours of academy instruction to satisfy mandated training requirements. Major training areas included identifying the role and responsibilities of the dispatcher, correct phone and radio procedures, handling emergency and non-emergency calls for service, emergency medical dispatch protocols and use of the state and national criminal databases.

The Daily Times reached out to Jordan Madden, the dispatcher from Greenup E-911, but he was not available at the time to comment.

Reach Portia Williams at 740-464-3862, or on Twitter @PortiaWillPDT.