Gov. Beshear, Team Kentucky Recognizes the Heroes Behind the Headset During National Telecommunicators Appreciation Week
On April 16, Gov. Andy Beshear encouraged Kentuckians to join Team Kentucky and thank telecommunicators for their unwavering commitment to public and officer safety during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week from April 13-19.
“Our telecommunicators are a lifeline to Kentuckians in some of their darkest, scariest, toughest times, and for that, they are real-life heroes,” said Gov. Beshear. “Their service to the commonwealth is noble and enhances public and officer safety every day. Thank you to all our telecommunicators today and every day.”
Dispatch basic training is mandatory for any sworn or civilian employee who will dispatch law enforcement officers by radio at a Criminal Justice Information Systems agency. Major training areas included identifying the role and responsibilities of the dispatcher, correct phone and radio procedures, handling emergency and nonemergency calls for service, using emergency medical dispatch protocols and using the state and national criminal databases. The Department of Criminal Justice Training is a statewide training academy for both telecommunicators and law enforcement officers.
“As instructors, we are honored to play a role in developing Kentucky’s dispatchers as exceptional public servants in their communities,” said Andrea Hale, an instructor of the dispatch basic training at the Department of Criminal Justice Training. “Dispatchers are often the first voice a caller hears in their time of need. Their work to make a safer, better Kentucky is essential and does not go unnoticed.”
The Kentucky State Police employes 217 telecommunicators across the commonwealth. They are responsible for dispatching state police troopers, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement officers, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation officers and other emergency responders. Their duties include coordinating emergency responses, notifying administrative channels, running vehicle and criminal background checks and providing crucial information to first responders while managing multiple calls and radio traffic. Last year alone, KSP telecommunicators answered over 1.2 million calls, leading to more than 406,000 requests for assistance.
KSP instructor Craig Tackett says the training team is crucial in preparing the next generation of telecommunicators.
“Telecommunications is the heart of our agency,” said Tackett. “Every second of every shift, our dispatchers must be ready as their actions are the difference between life and death. Our instructors pour their heart and soul into this training to ensure they can handle any call.”
Beshear-Coleman Administration Commitment to Making Kentucky a National Leader in Public Safety
The Beshear-Coleman administration’s top priority is the safety of all Kentuckians. The Governor's public safety actions are creating safer communities and a better Kentucky.
On Feb. 28, the Beshear-Coleman administration welcomed the first basic training academy class to Western Kentucky. For the first time since basic training became mandatory in 1998, Kentucky is simultaneously offering training in two locations. The Department of Criminal Justice Training will train officers in a building provided by the Madisonville Police Department while Team Kentucky constructs a $50 million multipurpose training facility in Madisonville.
Since taking office, Gov. Beshear has awarded nearly $12 million in grant funding to assist state and local law enforcement agencies with enhancing public and officer safety, curbing the sale of illegal drugs and fighting addiction.
At the beginning of his second term, the Governor proposed a $500 increase to the law enforcement annual training stipend, but the General Assembly chose to provide a combined $262 increase over the next two years. The budget signed by the Governor raises the training stipend to an all-time high of $4,562 by fiscal year 2026. Additionally, the Governor is providing part-time law enforcement officers with an annual training stipend for the first time in the history of the commonwealth.
In July 2023, Gov. Beshear broke ground in Richmond on a new law enforcement training facility named in honor of Jody Cash, who lost his life in the line of duty May 16, 2022, while serving as chief deputy of the Calloway County Sheriff’s Department.
In June 2022, Gov. Beshear announced the Military to Law Enforcement Program (M-2-LE). M-2-LE allows local law enforcement agencies in Kentucky to hire active service members within all U.S. military branches during their last 180 days of service. Upon being contracted by a law enforcement agency, the military member will continue to receive their pay and benefits from the U.S. Military while they undergo law enforcement training at the Department of Criminal Justice Training.