Wirth graduates from dispatch academy

RICHMOND — Julia Wirth, Harrodsburg Police Department, was among 23 law enforcement dispatchers that graduated Feb. 8 from the Public Safety Dispatch Academy at the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT).

The graduates hail from communications centers across the state, and comprise DOCJT’s 123rd telecommunications academy class, which first began in 1999.

The students graduating from the Public Safety Dispatch Academy represent the successful completion of a highly structured and comprehensive curriculum. The five weeks of training consisted of 205 hours of academy instruction to satisfy mandated training requirements. Major training areas included identifying the role and responsibilities of the dispatcher; correct phone and radio procedures; handling emergency and non-emergency calls for service; emergency medical dispatch protocols and use of the state and national criminal databases.

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. DOCJT also provides in-service and leadership training for Kentucky public safety dispatchers and law enforcement officers.