NICE News Special Edition - Volume 2, Issue 5

	UPDATE FROM JIM PARK NICE PERFORM^TM SELECTED FOR FAA REGISTER FOR INSIGHT 2006 @ APCO REAPING THE BENEFITS OF REDUNDANT RECORDING TELECOMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR: SHERRY WOOD CAMERON COUNTY NICE IP VIDEO SURVEILLANCE AWARD NICE CORPORATE NEWS NICE EVENTS




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NICE TELECOMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR PROFILE: SHERRY WOOD, DEERFIELD PD

This is the first in a series of profiles of the winners of NICE's first annual Telecommunicator of the Year contest which recognizes telecommunicators who have exhibited outstanding professionalism and dedication to the 9-1-1 vocation.

When you talk to Deerfield Police Department (PD) telecommunicator Sherry Wood, the first thing you notice is that she is a woman of few words. The next thing you notice is just how much each word counts. When asked what she finds most rewarding about her work, this NICE Telecommunicator of the Year first place winner succinctly replies: "helping people."

For Sherry, "helping people" is more than a job; it's a life-long calling. She began her career as a telecommunicator with Deerfield (Illinois) PD 34 years ago.

"From day one, Sherry treated dispatching as a career, long before it was recognized as such by most others," said Mary Anne Glowacz, communications director for the Police Department. "The standards Sherry has set throughout her career and continues to live by are commendable. She is a credit to us all."

Sherry is one of eleven Deerfield PD telecommunicators (8 full-time, 3 part-time) who handle 9-1-1 calls for the village of Deerfield and the adjacent Bannockburn area. It's a small center with a heavy workload. According to Glowacz, Sherry is always the first to make sacrifices and take on extra work to keep the operation running smoothly. "Everyone knows that they can depend on her. She'll stay late. She'll come in early. She'll volunteer for overtime, shift changes - whatever it takes," explained Glowacz. "She's a real team player."

In her early days as a telecommunicator, Wood often worked long hours and demanding shifts - including her own namesake shift ("The Sherry" which translates into two days, two evenings, and two midnights) - while single-handedly raising her daughter. She takes the shift work and personal sacrifices in stride. "My daughter has learned that Christmas can be any day you pick," she said.

When the building in which the communications center is housed underwent substantial reconstruction recently, Sherry endured it all without missing a beat. "The building was literally torn out around us, including the roof." said Glowacz. "Sherry came to work in a hard hat and dispatched calls over the noise of jackhammers and drills, with no hint of complaint. All she asked for was a space heater and a cardigan," added Glowacz.

While her job description doesn't call for it, Sherry always takes on extra projects. "I'm always looking for new things to do to help out," she said matter-of-factly. But Glowacz paints a different picture of a person with a superior work ethic who's always willing to go the extra mile. "Truth be known, she does the job of several people," noted Glowacz. "She's willing to do whatever it takes - from the smallest to the largest task - to make the organization better, more successful."

A case in point - on her own initiative, Sherry single-handedly created a disaster resource manual containing hundreds of resources (e.g., relocation facilities, buses, equipment, body bags, etc.) - information that would be critical if the Department had to mobilize to respond to a catastrophic situation. "It has been copied and used by virtually every agency in Illinois," said Glowacz.

Sherry also built (and maintains) a database for Deerfield's emergency notification system. The system can automatically dial and notify area residents if there's an emergency or alert, such as a missing child. She updates the database in her 'spare time' when she's not handling calls.

According to Glowacz, it's this extraordinary dedication, as well as other innate characteristics, that make Sherry an outstanding employee and telecommunicator.

"With all the technology we have in our center, sometimes it looks like we could launch a rocket from here," said Glowacz. "But the truth is, you can give telecommunicators all the technology in the world. You can train them, yet it really comes down to common sense and intuition. Sherry has both. When all is said and done, I know that Sherry's going to ask the right questions and that she's going to sense if something more needs to be done."

One other skill that both Glowacz and Sherry agree is important for telecommunicators is the ability to multi-task. "A lot of times when citizens call, they're under stress," explained Sherry. "You have to be patient. You need to pay attention to what they're saying, quickly analyze the situation and then get them the help they need. At the same time, you have to be able to multi-task." This can be extremely difficult when a telecommunicator is juggling several 9-1-1 calls, radio communications, and an alarm board that's lit up like a Christmas tree.

Glowacz, who claims Sherry's mastery of multi-tasking is second to none, agrees. "You've got to be able to multi-task; there are no two ways about it. Sherry's very good at that. She knows the job, is intuitive, and cuts to the chase. When she gets the call, she does everything she needs to do, and she's ready to move on and take the next one."

A lifelong learner who embraces challenge and change, Sherry's knowledge is priceless. Glowacz says she has used that vast experience to shape the lives and careers of others. Under Sherry's guidance, countless trainees have become extraordinary telecommunicators; and a number of those very same telecommunicators have gone on to become patrol officers, firemen, and even chiefs.

Glowacz says it's this overwhelming desire to help others that makes Sherry stand out as a NICE Telecommunicator of the Year. "To be sure, Sherry has handled her share of critical calls over her 34 years of service," said Glowacz. "She has made many decisions that have undoubtedly saved lives and property. But, I believe Sherry deserves recognition as a Telecommunicator of the Year, first and foremost, because of her long-term commitment to our industry and her love and desire to help others. She genuinely cares - for her fellow employees and for the citizens she has been called upon to help."