THP Announces Dispatcher of the Year 2009

• Amber Dowd has been named Dispatcher of the Year for District 1. Dowd, 30, joined the TDOS in 2007 as a Dispatcher in Knoxville District.  On July 23, 2009, Communications Dispatcher Amber Dowd received a 911 call stating that one of our troopers has been involved in a crash. At that same time, a private citizen transmitted a distress call over Trooper Rusty Carr’s radio. During this stressful and emotional situation, Dispatcher Dowd remained calm in her demeanor and actions. She immediately notified supervisors and made all notifications to ensure Trooper Carr received medical attention as soon as possible. Dispatcher Dowd handled the influx of calls coming from the media and other police officers who desired information about the crash. When she ended her shift she also went to UT Medical Center to check on Trooper Carr’s condition.  Prior to serving as a Dispatcher for the Department of Safety, Dowd worked as a Dispatcher for more than five years with the city of Greenacres, Florida.
• Dispatcher Stacey Boyd is Dispatcher of the Year for District 2. Boyd, 36, joined the department in February of 2005, and was promoted in 2006 to Communications Dispatcher 2 in Chattanooga District.  Dispatcher Boyd is an exemplary employee and has a desire to excel in everything she does. She is very dependable and committed to her job. During one period of severe weather in 2009, she volunteered to come to work five hours before her shift began to help her fellow dispatchers through the incident. There were many crash calls, trees down and possible tornadoes within the district. Once her shift was finished she continued to work the next morning until everything was back to normal.
• Dispatcher of the Year for District 3 is Jeremy Luna.  Communications Dispatcher Luna, 27, joined the department in 2003 as Communications Dispatcher 1 in the Nashville District. One year later, he was promoted to Communications Dispatcher 2.  During the 2009 CAD evaluation process, Dispatcher Jeremy Luna was recognized for his extremely low error rate of only 1.2 percent. He also had the highest single number of entries in the Nashville District at 4,555. Dispatcher Luna is also being recognized for assisting the wrecker lieutenant in implementing a paperless system on an excel spreadsheet that updated the Nashville District’s method of calling wreckers on the rotation. This project was beyond the scope of his duties and he continues to assist with updates in new information. There are a total of 290 wreckers approved for the Nashville District. Dispatcher Luna’s system is user friendly and assists all of the dispatchers in completing their duties.
• Susan Smith is Dispatcher of the Year for District 4. Smith, 32, joined TDOS in 2007 as a Communications Dispatcher 1 serving the Memphis District and was promoted to Communications Dispatcher 2 in 2008. On August 4, 2009, Dispatcher Smith received a call concerning an overturned vehicle on fire. She was advised that one subject was trapped in the vehicle. Dispatcher Smith called EMS and fire rescue units in a calm, professional manner as she entered all of these events into the CAD system. The end result of her professional conduct was that the male subject in the crash lived and had only miner injuries. On other occasions Dispatcher Smith went beyond the call of duty during snow storms. She packed an overnight bag and spent nights sleeping on a sofa so she would be available to work whenever needed. Her actions show her dedication and commitment to her job. Smith has prior experience as a dispatcher in Union County, North Carolina.
• Dispatcher of the Year for District 5 is Anna Green. Green, 55, joined the TDOS in 1996 as Communications Dispatcher 1 serving the Fall Branch District. A year later, she was promoted to Communications Dispatcher 2.  District 5 Captain Dean Hurley describes Dispatcher Green as a dedicated employee of the Department of Safety for 14 years. “She is always the first to volunteer for extra training and is recognized as our best trainer for new employees. Trooper safety is her number one priority and she is admired for her in-depth knowledge of the CAD system and how it is used to obtain beneficial information for the troopers. She constantly monitors dispatcher CAD entries and contributes to the Fall Branch District’s low error rate.”
• Timothy McHood has been named as Dispatcher of the Year for District 6. He is the senior dispatcher in the Cookeville District with 15 years experience. McHood, 46, joined the department in 1995 as a Communications Dispatcher 2 following 13 years of experience as a Communications Operator for the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department.  On March 3, 2010, he received a call on a hit and run. Dispatcher McHood put out a BOLO and maintained phone contact with the caller. Within minutes police located the vehicle which resulted in four persons being arrested on numerous felony and drug charges. On March 4, 2010, he assisted an ambulance company from Kentucky that had broken down on I-40.
   Cookeville District Captain David Allred says “Dispatcher McHood’s efforts resulted in a patient being transported with little delay to the hospital. His work ethic and positive attitude are an example for all to follow.”
• Dispatcher of the Year for the Lawrenceburg District 7 is Greg Griffin. Dispatcher Griffin, 47, is a 20 year veteran of the department and has garnered the respect of dispatchers, troopers, and many others across the district and state. District 7 Captain Steven Hazard says. “Griffin has displayed exemplary work on countless occasions through his abilities, sense of duty and his congeniality towards others. On one occasion, Dispatcher Griffin handled a three county pursuit of four suspects that were illegally manufacturing methamphetamine. Through his knowledge of the area, he was able to direct responding troopers to a point of interception where the vehicle was targeted by spike strips and the suspects were arrested.” Griffin joined the department in 1990 serving as a Communications Dispatcher 1 in Lawrence County and was promoted to Communications Dispatcher 2 a year later.
• Mark Stafford is Dispatcher of the Year for the Jackson District 8. Joining the department in 2000, Dispatcher  Stafford, 29, is a ten year veteran of the department.  Captain Curtis Mansfield says “Dispatcher Stafford goes beyond the call of duty to assist our troopers and extends his professionalism to outside agencies. Dispatcher Stafford strives to be one step ahead by providing our road troopers with information they need before they ask for it. Dispatcher Stafford along with two other dispatchers was instrumental in establishing a training program for new hires in Jackson. He embodies the full meaning of dedication and professionalism in telecommunications.”

The Tennessee Department of Safety’s (www.TN.Gov/safety) mission is to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.