MERIDIAN - Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) is proud to announce that Basic Dispatch Academy Class #58 graduated during a ceremony this morning at the POST Academy in Meridian. The ceremony for the Basic Dispatch Academy Class #58 began at 9:00 a.m.
The 25 graduates of the two-week academy represent law enforcement agencies from throughout the state and is the largest class to ever graduate from the Basic Dispatch Academy. The academy provides the knowledge and skills necessary to operate as a public safety dispatcher and is required for POST certification as a Dispatch Communication Specialist.
Academy students have instruction in the following areas:
- Call Classification, Call Taking & Call Prioritization
- Customer Service & Effective Communication
- Emergency Medical Services
- Emergency Communications Technology & TTY
- Hazardous Materials Orientation & Emergency Response Guide
- Fire Call Handling
- Legal Liability & Ethics
- Pat Down Searches & Handcuffing
- Radio Procedures
- Incident Command System (ICS) & National Incident Management System (NIMS)
During the ceremony the graduates were addressed by Colonel Ralph Powell, Director, Idaho State Police, William L. Flink, POST Administrator, POST Training Specialist Kerry LaFramboise and Class President Kathi Steen, Valley County Sheriff’s Office. The top student award was presented to Lindsey Robinson from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.
During a touching tribute, Class President Kathi Steen introduced each of the graduates to those in attendance as “The Voice.” “The Voice” on the other end of the telephone for somebody in crisis and the “The Voice” on the other end of the radio that are relied upon by public safety personnel headed into harm’s way.
“Dispatchers are the unsung heroes of public safety and serve on the very front lines,” said Colonel Powell. “I know this personally from being on patrol and relying on the voice on the end of the radio to ensure my safety. Law enforcement, firefighters and medics find comfort in knowing that there are highly trained personnel answering the calls of the public during crisis, making sure that they get to a scene quickly and letting them know what they are walking into when they get there.”
National Public Safety Telecommunicators’ Week begins on April 14th. Since 1981 this week is celebrated every April beginning with just one agency and spreading across the nation until Congress adopted it as such in 1991. April is also National 9-1-1 Education Month.
Those graduating today and their agencies are:
- KimberLee Arms - Bingham County Sheriff’s Office
- Ashley Auger - Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office
- Victoria Bailey - Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office
- Rhonda Beauchamp - Lewis County Sheriff’s Office
- Peter Cangany - Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office
- Gordon Christopherson - Oneida County Sheriff’s Office
- Jeanine Dilworth - Minidoka County Sheriff’s Office
- Tawnya Fennel - Elmore County Sheriff’s Office
- Daniel Harder - Idaho State Police
- Jennifer Williams - Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
- Jackie Hofmeister - Power County Sheriff’s Office
- Lea Hughes - Lewiston Police Department – Class Vice-President
- Sydney Hutchison - Chubbuck Police Department
- Kristin Jacobson - Idaho State Police
- Sara Loder - Idaho State Police
- Makenna Manning - Bingham County Sheriff’s Office
- Barbara McKay - Power County Sheriff’s Office
- Brynda Murphy - Idaho State Police
- Lindsey Robinson - Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office
- Katie Spackman - Pocatello Police Department
- Shauna Stramaglio - Pocatello Police Department
- Kathi Steen - Valley County Sheriff’s Office – Class President
- Michael Vargas - Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office
- Kendra Wageman - Chubbuck Police Department
- Jared Westerberg - Idaho State Police
