WCBD
CHARLESTON, S.C. — The South Carolina EMS network recently named Berkeley County Dispatcher Patricia Wadford the South Carolina EMS Dispatcher of the Year.
The award is given to either a paid or volunteer EMS dispatcher based on their level of commitment to their job and who has most effectively contributed to the dispatch operations of their unit. Over 1000 EMS dispatchers were potential candidates for this award.
The achievement which most impressed the selection committee was Wadford’s enthusiasm and commitment to EMS dispatch operations. As a “rookie”, Wadford once thought that perhaps being on the other end of continuous crisis calls was not her calling. But, Wadford soon realized she had a lot to contribute and wanted tomake a difference in her community.
Now, five years later, she is still going strong. In fact, she is so dedicated to her work she has never even taken a sick day.
Wadford’s entire shift of peers nominated her for this prestigious award, “Through her years of employment with the communications department, she has shown a tremendous amount of teamwork. For example, volunteering to work beyond her scheduled work hours and when new employees are hired, she volunteers to assist with training them and helping them to learn the 911 system. With her remarkable skills in handling difficult callers and resolving conflicts, she is able to instruct the trainees in the proper way of responding to these callers and conflicts.”
Wadford took the call on the tragic evening of March 25, 2007 when two Moncks Corner police officers were shot and killed in the line of duty.
According to her peers, “She did a remarkable job of remaining calm during this horrific time, while getting all of the appropriate responders enroute to these two officers and keeping the responders safe and updated of all pertinent information regarding the location of the suspect.”
Berkeley County Supervisor Dan Davis commented on Wadford’s award, “I’m so proud of Patricia. Dispatchers are under an extreme amount of pressure. Patricia always handles every situation, no matter how serious or stressful, with grace and professionalism. Berkeley County is blessed to have Patricia on our EMS dispatch team.”
“I love the job that I do, and the fact that I get to help others and make a difference in others’ lives, is only one of the added bonuses I get from being a dispatcher,” says Wadford, “since dispatchers are required to work weekends and holidays that require time away from our families at home, I am fortunate to say that the dispatchers I work with daily are also special to me. Not only do they do a great job, but they are second family to me as well. To be nominated by them and recognized as State Dispatcher of the Year is a great honor for me.”
Wadford has been an EMS Dispatcher for Berkeley County since 2006. In 2010, she was chosen as Berkeley County Communications Center 911 Dispatcher of the Year.
Reprinted with permission from WCBD.