On February 18, 2022, Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky State Police (KSP) announced that 12 telecommunicators — representing seven posts across the Commonwealth — have graduated from the KSP Telecommunications Academy.
Among the graduates: four locals taking the next step in a career.
KSP Post 2 representatives included:
— Logan Smith, of Caldwell County. Smith is a graduate of Santa Rosa Junior College, and is the son of Sara Allen.
— Pamela English, of Hopkins County. English is a graduate of West Hopkins High School, and is the daughter of Ralph and Sandra English.
— Matthew Ray, of Hopkins County. Ray is a graduate of Hopkins County Central High School and Kentucky Wesleyan College, and he is the son of Bobby and Joyce Ray.
— Darrie Parker, of Trigg County. Parker is a graduate of Trigg County High School and Austin Peay State University, and she is the daughter of Kenneth and Mae Lou Lancaster.
Graduates of the 19th class received 160 hours of instruction over four weeks. Major training areas include legal liability, limits of telecommunicator authority, telecommunicator’s role in public safety, interpersonal communications, customer service, combating stress, ethics and confidentiality, responder safety, basic fire dispatch, state emergency operation plans, criminal justice information systems, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid training, emergency medical dispatch and special needs callers.
During the academy, graduates 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 assistance. The training concluded with a computer simulation system that simulates their work environment in the radio room.
This year’s Charlotte Tanner Valedictorian Award has been awarded to Parker, with a grade point average of 99.67%.
