Spotlight Nominations
We invite you to nominate a deserving dispatcher/telecommunicator (or yourself!), Agency or Incident to be highlighted in our monthly Utah NENA Newsletter. Please submit your nominations using this form.
The Utah Chapter of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), will once again be presenting awards throughout National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week (April 14-20, 2024). Awards will be given in the categories below and the following will outline the nomination requirements, eligibility, and selection criteria for each award.
Congratulations to our 2024 award winners!
Communications Center of the Year: Weber Area Dispatch 911 & Emergency Services District
Incident of the Year: Tooele County Sheriff's Office; Runaway Semi
Dispatcher of the Year: Heather Freston; Logan City 911 Communications
Trainer of the Year: Brittany Perkins; Logan City 911 Communications
Supervisor of the Year: Carrie Diggs; Wasatch County Sheriff's Office
Director of the Year: Lisa Kehoe; Salt Lake City 911
Rion Phillips Lifetime Achievement Award: Kathy Quarnberg; DPS Communications Bureau
Incident of the Year: Tooele County Sheriff's Office; Runaway Semi
Dispatcher of the Year: Heather Freston; Logan City 911 Communications
Trainer of the Year: Brittany Perkins; Logan City 911 Communications
Supervisor of the Year: Carrie Diggs; Wasatch County Sheriff's Office
Director of the Year: Lisa Kehoe; Salt Lake City 911
Rion Phillips Lifetime Achievement Award: Kathy Quarnberg; DPS Communications Bureau
Award Categories
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DISPATCHER OF THE YEAR
This category will recognize an individual dispatcher who has contributed significantly to the profession of public safety dispatching throughout the prior calendar year. A candidate for Dispatcher of the Year is more than a single incident; he or she is a continual example of excellence. Evidence of a significant contribution may be, but is not limited to: exemplary performance on a consistent basis, substantial efforts made to better the profession through training or innovation, or continual mentoring and teamwork that betters the organization. The nomination narrative should include (if known):
Nomination Form SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR
This category will recognize an individual front-line supervisor or lead dispatcher who has consistently exhibited traits and values that exemplify leadership within his or her communications center. Examples of leadership traits and values can include, but is not limited to: integrity, fairness, dedication, being a visionary, being innovative, serving as a role model, inspiring others, mentoring and coaching others, building and maintaining trust, or recognizing the good work of others. To be eligible for this award, nominees must have been a supervisor, lead dispatcher, or similar classification having the authority and responsibility for directing and supervising the actions of dispatch personnel and operations within his or her Communications Center during the prior calendar year. Nomination Form COMMUNICATIONS CENTER OF THE YEAR
This category will recognize the Communications Center that performed most admirably over the past calendar year. Reasons for recognition can vary from overcoming substantial personnel issues, innovative approaches to dispatching, or a prolonged single event in which the center worked together to further public safety. Nomination Form |
COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING OFFICER OF THE YEAR
This category will recognize an individual CTO who has contributed significantly to the profession of public safety dispatching throughout the prior calendar year. A candidate for CTO/Trainer of the Year is more than a single incident; he or she is a continual example of excellence. Evidence of a significant contribution may be, but is not limited to: exemplary performance on a consistent basis, substantial efforts made to better the profession through training or innovation, or continual mentoring and teamwork that betters the organization. The nomination narrative should include (if known):
Nomination Form MANAGER/DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
This category will recognize an individual administrative supervisor who has consistently exhibited traits and values that exemplify leadership within his or her communications center. Examples of leadership traits and values can include, but is not limited to: integrity, fairness, dedication, being a visionary, being innovative, serving as a role model, inspiring others, mentoring and coaching others, building and maintaining trust, or recognizing the good work of others. To be eligible for this award, nominees must have been a manager, director, or presiding police/fire command staff member, or similar classification having the authority and responsibility for directing and supervising the operations within his or her Communications Center during the prior calendar year. Nomination Form INCIDENT OF THE YEAR
This category will recognize a single dispatcher or a team of dispatchers who performed well during one significant event or incident. Only ONE nomination will be accepted for a single incident. If more than one nomination is received for the same incident, they will be returned to the agency to combine into one. There is no limit to the number of separate incidents that can be nominated per agency. Nomination Form |
THE RION PHILLIPS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
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On April 7th, 2016, the Utah Public Safety community mourned the loss of a true hero in Public Safety. Rion David Phillips died in a tragic motorcycle accident leaving behind a legacy that many of us looked up to, both in our careers and day-to-day life. Rion was an Operations Supervisor for the Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communications Center, the First Vice President of Utah NENA, and a member of the Utah Public Safety Pride Alliance. Rion always put others before himself and made everyone feel important and loved. He taught us all a great deal about love, empathy & passion. He lived the motto “be kind to one another” and lived by that by showing us all what unconditional love really was. Rion’s love for serving his community lead him to become a police officer, where he served with the South Jordan Police Department before returning to VECC. It was there that he developed a deep respect and admiration for all those in public service, including police officers, firefighters, and military personnel. In addition to his service at work, he spent time going above and beyond. He organized Sub-4-Santa events, and many fallen officer benefits. He worked tirelessly to make sure their families knew the community cared for and respected officers who put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities. In his capacity as a member of the Utah Public Safety Pride Alliance, he actively worked to advocate for the LGBT community and inclusivity in the field.
This award recognizes a 9-1-1 professional who not only excels in his or her everyday job, but who has gone above and beyond to further the goals of Utah NENA, shows a commitment to Public Safety and has demonstrated exceptional contributions toward the advancement of 9-1-1 and not only consistently meets, but exceeds the expectations of their peers. The following considerations are made in selecting a recipient for this award.
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Eligibility
Any dispatcher/telecommunicator, supervisor, trainer or manager that was employed on a full or part-time basis in the State of Utah during the year 2023 is eligible for 2024 award nominations. Nominees DO NOT have to be a member of NENA.
Nomination Process
All nominations must be submitted on the online nomination forms. Any person can submit a nomination for Incident of the Year and Communications Center of the Year. More than one nomination in these categories can be submitted by any one individual. Each individual can submit ONE nominee for Dispatcher of the Year, Trainer of the Year, and Supervisor of the Year. A dispatcher can be nominated for more than one category. A separate nomination form must be completed for each category the dispatcher is nominated for. For example: A dispatcher nominated for Dispatcher of the Year who was also involved in an incident nominated for Incident of the Year will need to have one nomination form submitted for Dispatcher of the Year and a second, separate nomination form for the Incident of the Year.
Deadline
Nominations for NPSTW 2024 must be received by 17:00 hrs on Friday, March 15th, 2024.