Whitley, Knox Co. residents graduate DOCJT Public Safety Dispatch Academy

Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) announced Friday that 26 dispatchers from across the state graduated from the Public Safety Dispatch Academy and are now ready to begin answering the call to aid both citizens and law enforcement officers of the commonwealth, including the Whitley County Communication Center’s Braden W. Bird and the Knox County 911 Dispatch Center’s Jennifer L. Gifford.

“Your commitment to your community and the commonwealth is honorable,” Beshear said. “You are the lifeline to those who are experiencing the toughest moments of their lives. I applaud you for your decision to pursue this profession.”

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 156 received 164 hours of academy instruction to satisfy these requirements over four weeks. Major training areas included: identifying the role and responsibilities of the dispatcher, correcting phone and radio procedures, handling emergency and non-emergency calls for service, using emergency medical dispatch protocols and using the state and national criminal databases.

“Choosing to become a member of this time-honored profession is admirable,” said DOCJT Commissioner Nicolai Jilek. “It requires the utmost professionalism and perseverance. We wish you the best of luck in your careers.”