Tri Com Employee of the Year

Tri-Com Employee 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 Director Bleck was given the award as Tri-Com's Employee of the Year. 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.

Deputy Director Wrede nominated Jerry Bleck this year. Wrede says:

Jerry began his public safety career as a dispatcher with the Geneva Police Department in January 1972. He was named Tri-Com Director when our agency was created in May of 1976. He has been our only director in the 33 years since our inception. Jerry was instrumental in the creation of Tri-Com, which was the first multi-agency 9-1-1 Center in the State of Illinois.

When Tri-Com first began operations, the staffing consisted of Jerry and about 8 or 9 dispatchers. Today, Tri-Com employees 22 people in 7 job positions, with plans to add more people in the coming years as economic conditions allow.

Director Bleck is one of the most highly respected PSAP directors in the State of Illinois, if not the entire Midwest. He is frequently consulted by others in the field on matters related to 9-1-1 technology, radio systems, government regulations, communications center management issues, facility planning and construction, professional organizations (e.g. APCO, NENA) and many other topics.

Jerry's professionalism and work ethic are second to none. In the 23 years I have worked with him, I have never seen him lose his cool, treat anyone with disrespect or conduct himself in an unprofessional or irresponsible manner. He has always gone to bat for Tri-Com and its employees, even in the face of adversity. And adversity is something that comes along now and then when you work for 4 communities, 9 bosses (Board Members), 3 mayors and 3 city councils. Tri-Com has always remained strong through the years, thanks mostly to Jerry's people skills, even temper and sound leadership.

I think the other employees who are nominated for this year's aware are excellent candidates for this honor. But I would ask our supervisory staff to consider nominating them again at a future time so that we can present this award to Jerry before he retires in August. No other employee in the history of Tri-Com has been more deserving of this recognition than Director Jerry Bleck.

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:

2008 -Entire Tri Com Staff

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