State awarded Logan County emergency services staff and E-911 Board recognized by county

[May 19, 2017]  LINCOLN - At the Logan County Board meeting May 16, several dispatchers, office workers, and board members for the 911 Dispatch Center who work with EM-COM were recognized for winning awards.

Dan Fulscher, director of the Logan County Emergency Management Agency, said the staff received awards at the Illinois Emergency Services Management Association Conference. Fulscher said both the Logan County Emergency Management Agency and Logan County's 911 Dispatch Center received Lifetime Service Awards at the end of the conference.

Fulscher said he has many great people working for EMA and EM-COM.

EMA's Office Manager Cheryl Hedrick said, "EM-COM is a statewide program that aids in receiving local mutual aid and state resource requests and assists with deployment of those requests It keeps a total tracking from beginning to end of those requests."

Fulscher said those at the dispatch center are the "glue" when calls come in to EM-COM. He said they have helped with emergencies in Harrisburg and Utica, and flooding in Quincy, Southern Illinois, the Ohio River, and Mississippi River.

Fulcher said the information flow at the dispatch center is great. He said they helped with the information flow when eighteen train cars derailed in Elkhart Monday night.

Fulscher said when 911 started eighteen years ago, they were "averaging about 60 calls per week." He said now the center averages calls "every four minutes and fifty one seconds."

Fulscher said the Dispatch Center also houses the EM-COM center where they oversee Emergency Management System and Illinois Manifest Systems Teams.

Left to right: (front) Dan Fulscher, EMA Director; Sydney Zamora, Professional Emergency Communicators; Seth Unger,Professional Emergency Communicator ; Becky Ruben, Assistant Supervisor; Suzi Gasparini, Professional Emergency Communicator; Josh Polley, Professional Emergency Communicator; Tim Centers, Assistant Supervisor; Terry Storer, Deputy Director; Hillary Cherry, 911 Board Member; Kendall Caruthers, Haz Mat Specialist; and Curt Schleich, Information Technology. Back: Bucky Washam, EM-COM Supervisor.

Those present to receive the award were Dan Fulscher, EMA Director; Sydney Zamora, Professional Emergency Communicator; Seth Unger, Professional Emergency Communicator; Becky Ruben, Assistant Supervisor; Suzi Gasparini, Professional Emergency Communicator; Josh Polley, Professional Emergency Communicator; Tim Centers, Assistant Supervisor; Terry Storer, Deputy Director; Cheryl Hedrick, Office Manager; Hillary Cherry, 911 Board Member; Kendall Caruthers, Haz Mat Specialist; and Curt Schleich, Information Technology; and Bucky Washam, EM-COM Supervisor.

Other dispatchers not in attendance because they were answering calls at the center were: Mark Mann, Supervisor; Debbie Kimberlin, Assistant Supervisor; and John DeWilde, Assistant Supervisor.

Fulscher thanked them for the work they do and they received a round of applause for the award.

[Angela Reiners]