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Annual NAVIGATOR conference highlights achievements of outstanding emergency telecommunications

NEW ORLEANS — The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch® (IAED™) has recognized the tremendous accomplishments of dispatchers and the valued contributions of dedicated professionals at its annual NAVIGATOR conference, held April 12–14. At the event, the Academy presented four awards to exemplary individuals, each of whom exemplified the effectiveness of the Priority Dispatch Protocols™ in emergency response.

Communications Specialist Erin Berry, Loveland Emergency Communications Center, Loveland, Colorado, received the Infor-sponsored 2017 Dispatcher of the Year Award. Berry took a call from a local high school, where a 15-year-old band member had collapsed while running. The victim was unconscious and breathing. Her actions helped save the teen.

“When the request for nominations came out this year for the IAED Dispatcher of the Year, Erin came to mind immediately,” said Becky Kamoske, ENP Communications Supervisor, who nominated Berry for the award. “It wasn’t just a matter of the two amazing calls that are highlighted in her nomination but her overall approach to EMD. It can all be summed up in two words: She cares. From the time she picks up the phone, her customer service is outstanding, because she cares about every caller and every patient. She believes in the protocols and has a very strong knowledge of them, because she cares about providing the very best care for every patient. She takes her passion for EMD outside of the Communications Center, too.”

Berry also works with the local lifeguard instructors at the high schools, teaching the students about EMD and working with them through their final exams, which include an actual call into 911 for a drowning victim. The Instructor of the Year Award was given to Jeff Cicillian. The award recognized his skill and devotion to mentoring new instructors and in teaching certification courses.

As NAVIGATOR concluded with Friday’s Closing Luncheon, the Dr. Jeff Clawson Leadership Award (sponsored by Infor) was presented to Eric Parry. “Eric has been involved in the betterment of dispatch services since his comm. roots in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,” said Dr. Jeff Clawson, inventor of the Priority Dispatch Protocols. “He became the one of the first Emergency Police Dispatch (EPD) instructors and comprehensive implementation specialist for the Academy and then Priority Dispatch®. For many years, he was a stalwart for NENA–especially regarding telecommunicator and 911 management training. He literally wrote the book on the subject: ‘Emergency Number Professional'–the ‘must-read’ textbook for this important NENA certification course and designation. He has been the Chair of the EPD Council of Standards and has helped the Police Protocol to become what it is today.” Dr. Clawson has often referred to him as “the Michael Jordan” of police dispatching!

In addition, Janice Warshaue, of Northwell Health in Syosset, New York City, New York, was honored as the recipient of the inaugural ECN of the Year award. Warshauer was recognized for her excellence in delivering patient care through her use of the Emergency Communication Nurse System™ (ECNS™), the IAED’s secondary medical telephonic triage system, specifically designed to manage low-acuity medical calls.

About the IAED
The IAED is the world’s foremost standard-setting, certification-granting organization for emergency communications with over 57,000 members in 45 countries. More than 3,000 communication centers in 21 languages employ IAED’s protocols and training in medical, fire, police, and emergency nurse triage dispatching. Of those, nearly 200 comm. centers have become Accredited Centers of Excellence (ACEs).

About Priority Dispatch Corp.
Priority Dispatch Corp. provides comprehensive solutions to police, fire and EMS emergency dispatching using the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch-approved Priority Dispatch System (PDS). They also offer quality improvement software (AQUA), training, consulting and Academy accreditation support.

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