County Executive Dow Constantine congratulated three public employees who are being honored for their outstanding contributions to the community’s health and safety as King County Emergency Medical Dispatchers of the Year.

“Congratulations to this year’s winners, and a heartfelt thanks to all 911 dispatchers for the calm way they go about the business of saving lives by helping people through crises,” said Executive Constantine.

Part of King County’s world-class Emergency Medical Services/Medic One system, emergency medical dispatchers protect the public’s health and safety with critical medical advice to callers and by making quick decisions about the best emergency medical care.

The awards recognize overall excellence and expert response to critical incidents, and they are given annually by the Seattle and King County Emergency Medical Services Division of Public Health during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.

This year’s award winners include Wendy Glover of Maple Valley from Valley Communications Center in Kent, and Devin Pekema of Bellevue and Mark Wood of North Bend both with Norcom Communications Center in Bellevue.

Glover received two awards, one for sustained exemplary performance and another for exemplary handling of a critical EMS incident. Glover used her expertise to calm a very frantic caller and got him to immediately begin chest compressions on an unconscious patient, all while reassuring the caller. Her swift and prompt action coupled with her ability to remain focused was a key component in this resuscitation effort.

“Emergency Medical Dispatchers evaluate patient signs and symptoms and provide life-saving medical instructions to bystanders over the telephone,” said Mickey Eisenberg, medical director for King County Emergency Medical Services Division of Public Health. “Their contribution to the medical care provided to our residents and the subsequent increased survival from cardiac arrest is enormous.”