A Maple Valley resident and three others were honored as King County Emergency Medical Dispatchers of the Year.
The award winners include two from the Kent based Valley Communications, Justina Dreisbach of Maple Valley and Regina Keller of Tacoma.
Also honored were Erin Mitchell of North Bend and Becky McCracken of Sammamish from Eastside Communications in Bellevue.
Dreisbach and Mitchell both received the award for sustained exemplary performance throughout the year.
According to a King County press release, the dispatchers were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the public’s health and safety.
At 1 p.m. April 15 the Valley Communications Center will host an awards ceremony for the dispatchers at 27519 108th Ave SE, Kent
“Emergency medical dispatchers play a critically important role as they evaluate patient signs and symptoms and provide life-saving instructions to bystanders over the telephone. They are an essential link in our emergency medical care system and a big reason why our survival rates from cardiac arrest are among the world’s best,” said Dr. Mickey Eisenberg, Medical Director for King County Emergency Medical Services Division of Public Health – Seattle & King County.
Valley Communications provides police, fire and medical dispatching in south King County, managing approximately 63,000 emergency medical calls in 2008.
Eastside Communications provides police, fire and medical dispatching in the east and north regions of King County, managing approximately 46,000 emergency calls for medical assistance in 2008.
King County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) operates in a coordinated partnership with four dispatch centers, six paramedic providers, and 35 fire departments. Funded through a countywide EMS/Medic One Levy, King County EMS utilizes a layered-response system providing a continuum of care for people in need of emergency medical services. For more information on King County EMS, visit www.kingcounty.gov/health/ems.
