Johnson County dispatcher honored at regional 9-1-1 event

The 3rd Annual Outstanding Performance Awards were presented at the appreciation event

The Kansas City Regional 9-1-1 System honored emergency communications personnel responsible for processing 9-1-1 calls during its Telecommunicators Appreciation Celebration last Friday, April 15. Mike Babcock, a dispatcher for the Johnson County Emergency Communications Center, received the award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Critical Incident during the 3rd Annual Outstanding Performance Awards presented Friday.

The Outstanding Performance Awards selection committee reviewed and selected nominations from 9-1-1 dispatch center supervisors and managers throughout the region.

On April 14, 2010, a doctor who had just received a call from a suicidal patient reached Babcock. He took the initiative to call the man, who said he was depressed and was going to kill himself. For 23 minutes, he talked with the man about his family, job, pets, hobbies and interests as he tried to relate to the caller, build trust and find out critical information.

He was able to convince the caller to leave the gun in the barn and walk outside where law enforcement could see him. He explained he was sending an ambulance and the police, but that they were there to help him, not hurt him.

In the field of public safety communications, it’s not uncommon to take calls from a suicidal subject, but Babcock’s ability to identify with the man, his calm demeanor and controlled presence kept deputies and the caller safe and allowed for the successful end to what began as a critical incident.

2011 Outstanding Performance Award Recipients:
Everyday Hero Award: Cindy Staton, Miami County Sheriff’s Office
Outstanding Individual Performance in a Critical Incident: Mike Babcock, Johnson County Emergency Communications Center; Ben Watts, Lenexa Police Department
Outstanding Team Performance in a Critical Incident: Paula Arnote, Marie Athearn, Marlynda Dixon, Kate Neal-Dorsey and Grady Victory, Johnson County Emergency Communications Center
Outstanding Past Performance: Kelly Ray and Della Spain, Platte County Sheriff’s Office