Gov. Beshear Recognizes 17 Graduates of the Kentucky State Police Telecommunications Academy
Dedicated professionals prepared to serve Kentuckians and support law enforcement in times of need
FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 21, 2025) — Today, Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky State Police (KSP) announced the graduation of 17 telecommunicators from the KSP Telecommunications Academy. These individuals have been assigned to 10 posts across the state, where they will answer the call of service by providing critical communication support to Kentuckians and law enforcement agencies.
“Today, you embark on a commendable journey of public service, one that will provide light in the darkness to so many Kentuckians in their times of greatest need,” Gov. Beshear said. “Thank you for being committed to creating a new Kentucky home with safer communities and helping ensure our officers have the information they need to respond to emergencies.”
KSP telecommunicators are responsible for dispatching state troopers, commercial vehicle enforcement officers, conservation officers and other emergency service agencies. Last year alone, they answered over 1.2 million calls, leading to more than 406,000 requests for assistance.
“Public safety will be strengthened thanks to the crucial function each of these graduates will provide as telecommunicators,” said KSP Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. “It is an honor to welcome them to our agency, where they will serve as the vital link between the public and emergency responders.”
The graduates of Class 25 completed 160 hours of instruction over four weeks, covering essential topics such as legal liability, telecommunicator authority limits, their role in public safety, interpersonal communications, customer service, stress management and PTSD, ethics and confidentiality, responder safety, basic fire dispatch, emergency operation plans, criminal justice information systems, first aid and emergency medical dispatch.
Throughout their training, the graduates were required to successfully process scripted emergency calls, demonstrate their ability to gather and relay critical information, dispatch first responders efficiently, and provide emergency medical dispatch instructions when necessary. The academy concluded with a simulation designed to replicate real-life dispatch scenarios.
Class 25 graduates and their assigned posts are:
- Seth Cummins, Post 1, Mayfield
- Kelsey Davidson, Post 1, Mayfield
- Ethan Crick, Post 2, Madisonville
- John Kierman, Post 3, Bowling Green
- Malak Salman, Post 3, Bowling Green
- Breanna Sexton, Post 3, Bowling Green
- Ethan Duke, Post 4, Elizabethtown
- Ryleigh Stewart, Post 6, Dry Ridge
- James Matthews, Post 7, Richmond
- Connor Motley, Post 8, Morehead
- Farrah Combs, Post 13, Hazard
- Weston Hollon, Post 13, Hazard
- Tristen Turner, Post 13, Hazard
- Steve Waddell, Post 13, Hazard
- Kendall Benningfield, Post 15, Columbia
- Ryan Engle, Post 15, Columbia
- Makenzie Guthrie, Post 16, Henderson
The Charlotte Tanner Valedictorian Award is presented to the graduate who earned the highest 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 Seth Cummins from Post 1 with a grade point average of 100%.
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 agency is continuing to recruit interested individuals to join Team Kentucky and provide critical assistance and assurance to their neighbors and loved ones. To apply for a telecommunicator position with KSP, click here or contact the KSP post nearest you for more information.
Editor’s note: identification (left to right, front row to back row) Kelsey Davidson, Malak Salman, Breanna Sexton, Ryleigh Stewart, James Matthews, Kendall Benningfield, Farrah Combs, Makenzie Guthrie, Seth Cummins, Ryan Engle, Tristen Turner, John Kierman, Weston Hollon, Steve Waddel, Ethan Duke, Connor Motley and Ethan Crick
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