McCullah graduates dispatcher academy

Whitley County E-911 dispatcher Jessica Marie McCullah was among 20 dispatchers across the state, who recently graduated from the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training’s (DOCJT) Public Safety Dispatch Academy and is now ready to begin answering calls to provide assistance and assurance to both citizens and law enforcement officers of the commonwealth.

“Thank you for answering the call of service,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “Your mission is an important one. As you are now the lifeline to those facing some of their darkest and scariest times. Thank you for being a hero and the ears to Kentucky’s first responders.”

Dispatch basic training is mandatory for any sworn or civilian employee who will dispatch law enforcement officers by radio at a Criminal Justice Information Systems agency.

Graduates of the academy have successfully completed a highly structured and comprehensive curriculum to satisfy mandated training requirements. The graduates of Class 147 received 164 hours of academy instruction to satisfy these requirements over four weeks.

Major training areas include identifying the role and responsibilities of the dispatcher, correct phone and radio procedures, handling emergency and non-emergency calls for service, emergency medical dispatch protocols and use of the state and national criminal databases.

“I am proud of your accomplishments while at the academy,” DOCJT Commissioner Nicolai Jilek said. “Your four weeks of training have laid a solid foundation for a rewarding career for years to come. I wish you the best of luck in your careers.”

DOCJT is a state agency located on Eastern Kentucky University’s campus. The agency is the first in the nation to be accredited under the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies’ public safety training program designation.