WASHINGTON, DC –The NG9-1-1 Institute, in conjunction with National Emergency Number Association (NENA), the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO), the National Association of State 9-1-1 Administrators (NASNA), the Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies (iCERT), the National Association of Emergency Dispatchers (NAED), 9-1-1 for Kids and the Congressional NG9-1-1 Caucus, presented six awards to citizen heroes at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.’s Union Station on March 27, 2012.  This is the 9th annual awards ceremony where citizens whose heroism and dedication highlight the critical importance of 9-1-1 emergency communications will be honored.  The Co-chairs of the Congressional NG9-1-1 Caucus were invited to present the awards.

“The recipients who are being recognized at this year’s event have all made outstanding contributions in helping to save lives through the use of 9-1-1 emergency communications,” said Angel Arocho, Chairman of NG9-1-1 Board of Directors.  “On behalf of the NG 9-1-1 Board, we are truly delighted to host this event to honor these extraordinary individuals that have impacted lives by using the 9-1-1 system, in addition to recognizing industry members that play a critical role in helping to operate and maintain it.”

Being honored this year are:

Cynthia Almendarez of Alexandria, Virginia will receive the Citizen in Action Award. The Citizen in Action Award recognizes a person who demonstrated exceptional bravery and heroism to save a life in a critical time using 9-1-1. 10-year-old Cynthia demonstrated extraordinary courage and composure by calling 9-1-1 when her baby cousin stopped breathing and then giving the information necessary for the call-taker to dispatch help. She then translated the call-taker’s CPR instructions into Spanish for her mother, who administered CPR until EMT’s arrived on the scene. The Assistant Director of Fairfax County Department Public Safety Communications, Roy Oliver stated “Cynthia’s ability to translate the CPR instructions flawlessly into Spanish and her composure saved valuable time and Christopher’s life.”

Juanita “Kay” McKellar of Wenatchee, Washington will receive the Education Award. The Education Award is given in appreciation of the recipient’s efforts to coordinate and promote education and awareness for 9-1-1 education. As a member of the public safety industry for over 25 years, Kay McKellar has held various roles and positions, and through the years, she has helped many children, adults and organizations to understand more about how 9-1-1 works. She works tirelessly to educate her community, doing presentations with all different ages and demographics, and is often seen securing prizes for charity auctions, and attending hometown fairs and events. She is the face of her community for 9-1-1 education. Jill Evander, who nominated Kay for the award, said “she is a true hero to all of us!”

Nikita Washington of Washington, DC will receive the 9-1-1 Professional Award.

The 9-1-1 Professional Award honors the true “first responders” on the front lines of emergency communications every day. Nikita Washington, a Universal Call Taker at DC’s office of Unified Communications, fielded one very difficult call this past year, and through due diligence, dedication, excellent customer service and great job knowledge, Ms. Washington was instrumental in saving the caller’s life. She is a very enthusiastic and professional employee with a record of going above and beyond her duties as a call-taker. She has been a dedicated employee of the Office of Unified Communication so for nine years.

John McDonough of Sandy Springs, Georgia will receive the Government Leader Award. The Government Leader Award recognizes the efforts of federal, state and local officials in developing and implementing public policy to advance the capabilities of 9-1-1 emergency communications.  As City Manager of Sandy Springs, GA, John McDonough, working in partnership with the City of Johns Creek, Georgia and iXP Corporation, led the establishment of the Chattahoochee River 9-1-1 Authority (ChatComm), providing services for both Sandy Springs and John’s Creek Georgia. Through these efforts a more rapid and reliable response from police, fire and EMS personnel was secured for the residential population of over 170,000, with 93 percent of calls answered in 10 seconds or less. The later addition of the City of Dunwoody and the interest shown by other municipalities is a testament to Mr. McDonough’s leadership, commitment and vision.

Brian Daly of Seattle, Washington will receive the Industry / Technology Professional Private Sector Award. The Industry/Technology Professional Private Sector Award honors individuals in the commercial sector who make exceptional contributions towards the advancement of emergency 9-1-1 communications.  Mr. Daly is a recognized leader of emergency communications in both his professional and personal life. As the Director of Core Network & Government Regulatory Standards at AT&T, his dedication to emergency communication is apparent in his service on over 30 government and industry panels, his numerous presentations and contributions to projects relevant to emergency communications. Mr. Daly is also heavily involved in community service, devoting much of his personal time to local volunteer efforts in the State of Washington aimed at improving emergency communications and ensuring public safety.

David Lucas and Lexington-Fayette Urban County in Kentucky will receive the Outstanding 9-1-1 Call Center Award. The Outstanding 9-1-1 Call Center Award honors a specific Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for its excellence in key emergency communications areas ranging from the handling of emergency situations reported to 9-1-1 to the deployment and management of new technology. David Lucas is the E9-1-1 Director of Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s Department of Public Safety in Lexington, Kentucky. Under his leadership, the Urban County Government has implemented the first regional E911 Network in the state of Kentucky, comprised of now twelve counties and PSAP’s with a waiting list to join. The implementation resulted in not only considerable cost savings for each county but also a significant improvement in the 9-1-1 services provided to citizens. Mr. Lucas, an employee of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government for over 18 years, started as a GIS programmer, migrating towards Public Safety and 9-1-1 with the implementation of Lexington’s Enhanced 9-1-1 service in 1996.  He continues his strong work and dedication to the 9-1-1 industry daily, not only with in his job but his service through several Board committees promoting NG9-1-1 in his area.

“These individuals are models of service and dedication for everyone” said Gregory L. Rohde, Executive Director of the NG 9-1-1 Institute.  “Their stories of leadership and heroism are inspiring and we are proud to honor them for the positive impact they have made to 9-1-1.”