Providing a lifeline to Kentuckians and law enforcement officers

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- On July 15th, Governor Andy Beshear and the Kentucky State Police (KSP) announced six telecommunicators, representing five posts across the commonwealth, have graduated from the KSP Telecommunications Academy and are ready to begin answering the call for assistance to both citizens and law enforcement throughout the commonwealth.

“Congratulations to our recent graduates from the KSP Telecommunications Academy,” said Gov Beshear. “The skills and experience gained through this training make you the hero behind the headset that our citizens need and deserve. We thank you for serving to create a better and safer Kentucky.”

The graduates of Class 20 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, 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 are vital to emergency services and serve as a lifeline for the public and law enforcement officers,” said KSP Telecommunications Training Instructor Jason Long. “They are the first responders to any incident and provide lifesaving information at any moment.”

Class 20 graduates and their assigned posts are:

Hannah Whitney, Post 2, Madisonville

Madison Pils, Post 4, Elizabethtown

Elijah Patterson, Post 6, Dry Ridge

Pattie Taylor, Post 7, Richmond

Rebecca Rogers, Post 7, Richmond

Ashley Blair, Post 9, Pikeville

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 Hannah Whitney and Elijah Patterson, with a grade point average of 98.3%.

To apply for a telecommunicator position with KSP, click here, or contact the KSP post nearest to you for more information.

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.

The number one priority for KSP is to create 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.