Three Butler County 9-1-1 dispatchers were honored recently for their retirement while a fourth was honored for their service on a call.
After 30 years of service two dispatchers Terry Sweeney and Jeff Grazier retired. A third person will be honored today, Mark Bell who worked at the 9-1-1 center for 24 years.
Rob McClafferty is the 9-1-1 Coordinator and he says it takes a certain kind of person to do this work.
“I can testify that it takes a special person to help someone else everyday,” McClafferty said. “There’s a lot of stress and it’s a very technical job.”
Also honored was Shawn Smith who was honored with a new award, the “Making a Difference Award” for his how Shawn handled a difficult incident. Confidentiality prevents the capability from sharing details about the work Shawn did but McClafferty said his efforts made a difference for everyone.
“He’s exemplary, quick handling of the call and his utmost professionalism and confidence during the call. He just made a difference during the event for not only the callers but also the public safety folks on scene who required assistance,” McClafferty said.
Shawn was honored in a ceremony earlier this week.
