Umatilla County Dispatchers Kim Winnett, Tracy LeGore, and Tabetha Koehler received Stork Award pins from the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office.
For telecommunicators and emergency medical dispatchers, the Stork Award recognizes those who have “delivered” a baby through Emergency Medical Dispatch pre-arrival instructions and communications, which is a part of their training and certification.
On June 30, 2014, when a 9-1-1 call came into the dispatch center about a woman who was in labor and about to give birth, Winnett and LaGore worked together and successfully helped deliver a healthy baby girl.
On Nov. 23, 2015, Koehler was on duty when she answered a 9-1-1 call from a man stating that his wife was in labor. Her calming voice, and clear and concise instructions to the soon to be father resulted in the birth of healthy baby boy.
The sheriff’s office said the three dispatchers used their training, experience and teamwork to help these moms and dads in their time of need.
The Umatilla County Communications and Regional 911 Dispatch Center is the first point of contact for most citizens who live in Umatilla County and for travelers and guests when they call for police, fire, ambulance or other kinds of assistance. The center dispatches for 25 public safety agencies throughout the region, including police, fire and EMS agencies. In 2015, the Communication Center handled 150,473 business line and 9-1-1 calls, and received nearly 300,000 activity requests from public safety officers and the public.
