Kentucky State Police Post 3 Welcomes New Telecommunicator
Bowling Green, Ky. — Eight Kentucky State Police Telecommunicators from throughout the commonwealth were recognized today at graduation ceremonies for the seventeenth class of the agency’s in-house Telecommunications Academy.
“Across the state, KSP telecommunicators provide a lifeline to both citizens in need and responders in the field,” says Jason Long, Law Enforcement Training Instructor. “They serve as an unseen, but vital link in keeping law enforcement officers, responders and the public safe at all times of the day or night.”
Representing seven agency posts, the group began its studies on February 1, 2021 at the KSP Training Academy in Frankfort. The course provided 196 hours of instruction during a five-week period. The curriculum included subjects such as: legal liability, limits of Telecommunicator authority, the Telecommunicator’s role in public safety, interpersonal communications, customer service, interaction with the news media, stress, ethics and confidentiality, responder safety, basic fire dispatch, state emergency operations plans, criminal justice information systems, cardio pulmonary resuscitation, first aid training, emergency medical dispatch and special needs callers.
To complete the course, the Telecommunicators were required to successfully process scripted calls for service and demonstrate proficiency in obtaining pertinent information, dispatching responders, providing emergency medical dispatch if needed and correctly documenting information from the call for service. This training is completed using a computer simulation system to simulate their working environment in the radio room.
Kristin Galloway, of Warren County, was the Post 3 graduate. She is the daughter of Sandra and David Miller and is an alumni of Warren Central High School.
According to Jason Long, Law Enforcement Training Instructor III at the Kentucky State Police Academy, working in today’s emergency services communications center requires a number of qualities and characteristics that are absolutely imperative including:
- the ability to handle very stressful, challenging conditions
- flexible work schedules
- empathy in dealing with others
- the ability to learn and adapt, especially in areas of technology.
Long says individuals considering this field as a career need to understand it takes commitment. “You need to think hard about whether you are willing to make the sacrifices you have to make. With all the continuing training required, there is a big investment of time and you need to be sure you can make the commitment,” says Long. “To be honest, it’s not a job for everyone. It is stressful and challenging and some people simply can’t deal with the types of calls and deadly incidents that we have to handle.”
If you’re interested in a Telecommunicator position with the Kentucky State Police, you may apply at https://careers.ky.gov or contact your local post https://wp.kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/post-locations/ for more information.
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