Versailles: In 1991 Congress proclaimed the second full week in April to be National Telecommunications Week to recognize the importance of those special individuals who coordinate the efforts police, fire, and EMS workers as they perform their duties. Telecommunications operators are the unsung heroes of public safety. To the public they are faceless voices heard over the scanner. To public safety workers they dispatch for, they are a lifeline. Governor Mike Pence has proclaimed the week of April 13-19 as Telecommunications Week in Indiana.
Telecommunications is a function that operates 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year and can be very stressful. One minute an operator can be communicating a routine function to an officer and the next minute they may be coordinating a high speed pursuit, dispatching emergency assistance to an accident scene, or coordinating a situation where police officers are involved in a gun battle.
All Indiana State Police telecommunications operators must pass a written test, a typing test, appear before an interview board, and go through a background investigation before being hired as an ISP telecommunications operator. Once hired, they must then endure at least 12 weeks of intense training and continuous in-service training throughout their careers to maintain certifications and keep up-to-date on the latest communications technology and procedures.
Telecommunications operators working from the Region IV Indiana State Police Regional Dispatch Center in Versailles are responsible for dispatching troopers and motor carrier inspectors to calls for service in the Versailles and Sellersburg ISP Districts which covers a total of 15 counties in southeastern Indiana. Currently there is one dispatch center manager, three telecommunications supervisors, and 10 telecommunications operators. The current telecommunications personnel at Region IV are:
Steve Comer, Regional Dispatch Center Manager
Connie Poer, Telecommunications Supervisor
Jeanie Helton, Telecommunications Supervisor
Sarah Collins, Telecommunications Supervisor
Deborah Richey, Telecommunication Operator
Marla Hankins, Telecommunication Operator
Jane Sparks, Telecommunication Operator
Ann Cheatam, Telecommunication Operator
Amanda Lawson, Telecommunication Operator
Casey Bloos, Telecommunication Operator
Bobbi Branson, Telecommunication Operator
Heidi Jackson, Telecommunication Operator
Tracy Mullins, Telecommunication Operator
Donyelle Robinson, Telecommunication Operator
