KSP Telecommunications Academy graduates class #12

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) — Eighteen Kentucky State Police telecommunicators from throughout the commonwealth were recognized Friday at graduation ceremonies for the twelfth class of the agency’s in-house telecommunications academy.

Representing eight agency posts, the group began its studies on April 16, 2018 at the KSP Training Academy in Frankfort. The course provided 236 hours of instruction during a six-week period. The curriculum included subjects such as: legal liability, limits of telecommunicator authority, the telecommunicator’s role in public safety, interpersonal communications, customer service, interaction with the news media, stress, ethics and confidentiality, responder safety, basic fire dispatch, state emergency operations plans, criminal justice information systems, cardio pulmonary resuscitation, first aid training, emergency medical dispatch and special needs callers.

To complete the course, the telecommunicators 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 service. This training is completed using a computer simulation system to simulate their working environment in the radio room.

The graduates of the twelfth KSP Telecommunications Academy included:

Tonya Whitehair Post 1 Mayfield

James Smock II Post 1 Mayfield

Jerry David Brandon Post 1 Mayfield

Raymond Hutchins Post 3 Bowling Green

Jamie Gann Post 3 Bowling Green

Matthew Stephens Post 3 Bowling Green

Shelby Grant Post 5 Campbellsburg

Andrea Jaehnigen Post 5 Campbellsburg

Cahli Simpson Post 6 Dry Ridge

Kelly Maze Post 8 Morehead

Jacob Paul Glover Post 8 Morehead

Devin Patty Post 12 Frankfort

William Watts Post 12 Frankfort

Dylan Baker Post 13 Hazard

Cody Napier Post 13 Hazard

Christopher Taylor Post 13 Hazard

Angel Smith Post 13 Hazard

Jacob Arrowood Post 14 Ashland

According to Jason Long, Law Enforcement Training Instructor at the Kentucky State Police Academy, working in today’s emergency services communications center requires a number of qualities and characteristics that are absolutely imperative including:

• the ability to handle very stressful, challenging conditions
• flexible work schedules
• empathy in dealing with others
• the ability to learn and adapt, especially in areas of technology.

His advice to those who may be considering the field as a career? “You need to think hard about whether you are willing to make the sacrifices you have to make. You have to spend time away from your family. You have to work weekends and holidays. With all the continuing training required, there is a big investment of time and you need to be sure you can make the commitment.”

“To be honest, it’s not a job for everyone,” he says. “It is stressful and challenging and some people simply can’t deal with the types of calls and deadly incidents that we have to handle.”