Calling all heroes: Emergency Medical Dispatchers honored

KING COUNTY, WA –This week, four local residents are being honored as King County Emergency Medical Dispatchers of the Year for their outstanding contributions to the public's health and safety. As part of King County's world-class Emergency Medical Services/Medic One system, emergency medical dispatchers protect the public's health and safety everyday with critical medical advice to callers and by making quick decisions about the best emergency medical care.

The awards recognize overall excellence and expert response to critical incidents, and they are given annually by Public Health - Seattle & King County's Emergency Medical Services Division during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 12-18, 2009.

"Our emergency medical dispatchers are the lifeline for the thousands of callers who each year dial 911 for medical help," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "They all deserve our appreciation, and those being honored deserve our special thanks."

This year's award winners include Regina Keller of Tacoma and Justina Dreisbach of Maple Valley from Valley Communications and Erin Mitchell of North Bend and Becky McCracken of Sammamish from Eastside Communications. Ms. Mitchell and Ms. Dreisbach both received the award for sustained exemplary performance throughout the year.

Ms. Keller and Ms. McCracken both received their awards for exemplary handling of a critical Emergency Medical Services incident. Ms. Keller received her award for her expert and quick identification and response to a reported cardiac arrest, while Ms. McCracken was honored for her skilled and calm response to a call for two young boys trapped in a collapsed ice cave.

Event details

• On Wednesday, April 15 at 1:00 p.m., Valley Communications Center will host an awards ceremony for their honored dispatchers at the Kent facility, 27519 108th Ave SE.
  
  
• On Thursday, April 16 at 11 a.m., Eastside Communications Center will host an awards ceremony for their honored dispatchers at Bellevue City Hall, 450 110th Avenue NE. Media representatives should wait by the first floor elevators for an escort to the 7th floor.

"Emergency medical dispatchers play a critically important role as they evaluate patient signs and symptoms and provide life-saving instructions to bystanders over the telephone. They are an essential link in our emergency medical care system and a big reason why our survival rates from cardiac arrest are among the world's best," said Dr. Mickey Eisenberg, Medical Director for King County Emergency Medical Services Division of Public Health – Seattle & King County.

Eastside Communications provides police, fire and medical dispatching in the east and north regions of King County, managing approximately 46,000 emergency calls for medical assistance in 2008. Valley Communications provides police, fire and medical dispatching in south King County, managing approximately 63,000 emergency medical calls in 2008.