Above and Beyond the Call of Duty
In our profession, we often see examples of dedicated professionals going above and beyond the call of duty. This program allows anyone to nominate a teammate and tell us about how they went into action.
This program is not meant to take the place of or be equal to the APCO International Public Safety Communications Awards Program. Instead, Teammates in Action recognizes the everyday work of thousands upon thousands of public safety telecommunicators across the globe. Rather than award a body of work, this program recognizes an act or action during a singular incident. Overlooked far too often are the heroic actions taken daily by telecommunicators. This program hopes to bring these to light and give everyone a chance to recognize these daily actions.
How It Works
- Anyone working in an emergency communications center can be nominated. This includes, but is not limited to, public safety telecommunicators, supervisors, managers, directors and/or administrators, trainers and coordinators, quality assurance personnel, IT personnel, and radio technicians.
- Anyone can be the nominator (co-worker, supervisor, manager, director, etc.). Just complete the form below.
- The Member & Chapter Services committee reviews the submissions and submits recommendations for recognition.
- Once a nomination is selected, a member of the committee will:
- Contact the direct supervisor and/or ECC director to confirm the actions.
- Confirm in writing what details of the story are approved for publication.
- Request additional materials, including photos, newspaper articles, etc., that may be added to the article.
- An article recognizing the Teammate in Action will be posted on APCO social media platforms. Recognized teammates will receive an electronic certificate.
Recent Teammates-in-Action
Teammates-in-Action: Dionne Tomkins, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office
On February 24, 2024, in Sarasota, Florida, Public Safety Telecommunicator Dionne Tomkins was relieving main radios when a bank robbery was reported to dispatch. The bank location was on the county line. She quickly voiced the call to the zone unit and updated responding units as further information was received. Tomkins controlled the incident and […]
Teammates-in-Action: Britt Whitmire
This date of a notable action by Whitmire given of 2/23/2024 only comes to mind because it is the most recent date that Britt Whitmire worked overtime. That within itself may not sound special or unique.
Teammates-in-Action: Dispatcher Robin Donahue, Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency
On March 14, 2024, Dispatcher Robin Donahue fielded a phone call from a female who was reporting the male she was with was having a mental health crisis.
Teammates-in-Action: Stephanie Stone, Tim Walters and Wade Davis, Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office
A 9-1-1 call was received in the early afternoon hours of October 20, 2023, which led to a series of events. A distraught female was reporting a male intruder with a gun in her residence.
Teammates-in-Action: Derrik Gregg, Scottsdale Communications
On Friday, September 1, 2023 in Scottsdale, Arizona, at approximately 0238 hours, Communications Supervisor Derrik Gregg received a 9-1-1 call that disconnected shortly after he answered.
Teammates-in-Action: Lyz Wood, Pampa Police Department
On February 27, 2024, Telecommunications Operator Lyz Wood of the Pampa Police Department in Pampa Texas, was dealing with several wildfires that were threatening the city of Pampa and the county.
