Tri Com Employee of the Year

Tri-Com Employees of the Year

Tri-Com Central Dispatch in Geneva honored its employees in conjunction with National Telecommunicator Week. Tri Com is the 9-1-1- Dispatch center for the cities of St. Charles, Geneva and Batavia Illinois. Tri-Com employees answer 9-1-1 emergency telephone lines and dispatch local police, fire and ambulance personnel.

National Public Safety Telecommunications Week is being observed throughout the country to honor emergency dispatch personnel who are the vital link between the public and police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other life-saving units. In recognition of the event, President George W. Bush wrote a letter to the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO), praising the nation's public safety communications workers for their invaluable work in defending the country. He tied their role to homeland defense. The president wrote, "During this time of great consequence, the skilled men and women who operate our emergency telecommunications networks play a vital role in protecting citizens and communities."

Tri-Com recognized this year's "Employee of the Year" during National Telecommunicator Week. This year was unique as the "Employee" was actually all the Dispatch Staff at Tri-Com Central Dispatch. The award is based on outstanding performance as measured by established work standards. Any Tri-Com employee is eligible to submit a written nomination of a fellow employee for the award. Staff Supervisors, the Deputy Director and the Director at Tri Com review the nominations and vote on the employee to receive the award.

Linda Byrne, a former Employee of the Year herself, nominated the entire dispatch staff at Tri-Com. Linda said, "In the past year, we have experienced may changes in the dispatch center, the largest changes being the implementation of Motocad as our new computer system for dispatching. All dispatchers have undergone extensive training in order to achieve enough understanding of this system to accomplish our day to day job of dispatching police and fire units. The calls we receive can be routine or of the highest emergency status. The dispatchers all participated in trying to understand the (the very well made and thought out) Motocad text book prior to our actual training, a week of training and filling all overtime that resulted from said training. Prior to the actual on-line day, we all practiced as much as possible either during break time at work on our own time. From the first day of going on-line, everyone has banded together when one person has hit a snag during operation of Motocad. The banding together has continued to this day, as Motocad continue to be quite a challenge at times. I believe this major change we've all adapted to deserves recognition. Our computer aided dispatch system is what we use to do our job every step of the way. The effort everyone has put forth is impressive. The continuing effort to learn and help ones co-worker shows the Tri-Com spirit at its best." Based on Linda's nomination it was a unanimous vote to award the entire Tri-Com Dispatch Staff s the 2008 Employee's of the Year!

The awards ceremony was attended by Tri-Com employees, board members and police and fire administrative personnel.

Previous winners of the Tri-Com Employee of the year award include:

2007 - Leigh Swanson

2006 - Chuck Gill

2005 - Nicole Lamela

2004 - James Smyth

2003 - Jennifer Durancik

2002 - Jim Jones

2001 - Tina Webber

2000 - Chrissy Pittsley

1999 - Nicole Nania

1998 - Linda Kreutzer

1997 - Kelly Davis

1996 - Dave Korf

1995 - Tammy Kleveno