Finalists have been revealed for awards recognising the extraordinary dedication and selfless service to the public provided by control room heroes across the country.
The fourth annual APD Control Room Awards are being staged as a virtual event and will provide a vital opportunity to celebrate the inspiring work of control room teams and individuals during a year unlike any other.
The awards, organised by control room technology leader APD Communications, will take place on 14 May as an online event, due to COVID-19 restrictions, and provide a socially distanced night to remember for the unsung heroes of the control room.
The event will feature 11 awards, including the Community Champion Award, which will be chosen via an interactive vote by those participating in the event.
Entries were received from almost 100 organisations across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland and almost 500 control room employees will receive pin badges of honour from APD having been nominated individually or as a team member.
Rhiannon Beeson, Director of Control Room and founder of the Control Room Awards, said, “These awards bring to the forefront truly extraordinary examples of professionalism, resilience and skill by control room operators and teams who go above and beyond, day after day, to serve and protect the public. The past year has been one like no other, with the global pandemic applying new pressures to control room employees. Critical control rooms around the UK deal with extreme highs and lows. Fire, ambulance, police and coastguard, to name but a few, take thousands of life-saving calls a week. And, while, they may say they’re doing their job, here at APD we think this is a community of key workers worth recognising and it is such a privilege to be a small part of that.”
APD Communications develops critical, life-saving software used by emergency services organisations across the UK, and the awards reflect APD’s desire to ensure the outstanding work of control room teams and operators is recognised and rewarded publicly.
Leading tech company telentis once again the Platinum Partner of the awards, while other sponsors are the BAPCO Annual Event, Embrace Child Victims of Crime, The Emergency Services Show and Emergency Services Times, Mark Allen Group, RapidSOS, Red Box and UKCloud.
The shortlisted entries were selected by a panel of judges with extensive experience of working in or with the emergency services and critical control organisations.
The APD Control Room Awards 2021 judges are: Mike Isherwood, Managing Director, APD Communications; Shani Latif, Sales Director, telent; John Anthony, President, British Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (BAPCO); Monica Million, Executive Director, Colorado 9-1-1 Resource Centre; and Teri Seaber, former Group Commander, Combined Fire Control of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk Fire and Rescue Services.
The APD Control Room Awards 2021 finalists are:
Award for Services to the Public, sponsored by Mark Allen Group
Jennifer Court, Leicestershire Police
Rebecca Dingvean, London Fire Brigade
William Lilley, Kent Police
Control Room Call Taker of the Year, sponsored by RapidSOS
Amy King, Kent Police
Rebecca Neale, Avon and Somerset Police
Hannah Shrimpton, North East Ambulance Service
Control Room Dispatcher of the Year
Luke Barnes, Avon and Somerset Police
Natalie Harman, Kent Police
Patricia Holland, West Mercia Police
Young Achiever of the Year, sponsored by telent
Ben Hawkins, East of England Ambulance Service
Lauren Kay, North East Ambulance Service
Freddie Martin, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service
Community Champion, sponsored by Red Box
Erica Brown, Durham Constabulary
Edward Doherty, National Ambulance Service of Ireland
Kevin Paterson, Police Scotland
Leader of the Year
Allan Steele, G4S in partnership with Lincolnshire Police
Beth Watson, North East Ambulance Service
Nathan Hughes, Welsh ambulance Service
Team of the Year, sponsored by Emergency Services Times
Cambridgeshire and Suffolk Combined Fire Control
Digital Contact Team, Metropolitan Police
Senior Health Advisor Team, North East Ambulance Service
Special Recognition Award for Bravery and Courage, sponsored by UK Cloud
Myles Alexander, Kent Police
Caitlyn Brumby, G4S in partnership with Lincolnshire Police
Sean Ash, London Ambulance Service
Control Room Ambassador of the Year
June Gibson, Kent Police
Demi Haggar, Durham Constabulary
Colleen Whelan, National Ambulance Service of Ireland
The John Gilhooly Unsung Hero Award
Sam Dunne, Houses of Parliament
Graeme Scott, Police Scotland
Andy Taylor, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service
Lifetime Achievement, sponsored by Embrace Child Victims of Crime
Keith Diamond, London Fire Brigade
Denise Madderson, Northumbria Police
Jim Shand, Devon and Cornwall Police
For more information, follow the awards on Facebook: @controlroomawards, Twitter: @CR_Awards, Facebook and LinkedIn: Control Room Awards.
