Bismarck   (NDDES)  – For their calm and collected demeanors and professionalism under pressure, two North Dakota Division of State Radio emergency dispatchers will be recognized Wednesday April 6 at 2:15 p.m. during an agency meeting at Fraine Barracks.

Alexis Hellman and Leanne Heslep will receive Stork Pins for assisting callers in performing successful emergency medical deliveries while waiting for emergency medical services personnel to arrive.

“Our emergency dispatchers, as the ‘FIRST-first responders,’ are always the ‘calm during the storm.’ That means they have that patience and compassion for their callers no matter what is happening,” said State Radio Director Dan Donlin. “A lot of times, they are on the line with someone who might be having their worst day. But occasionally, they can be part of that special moment when a new life enters the world. Some dispatchers can go their whole careers without ever receiving a Stork Pin, so this is a very special recognition to give.”

The awards presentation comes just days before the start of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week<https://www.npstw.org/>, which honors the thousands of men and women who answer emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment and render life-saving assistance to the world’s citizens. The national campaign, which is celebrated annually, is sponsored by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International<https://www.apcointl.org/>. In North Dakota, Gov. Doug Burgum also has proclaimed<https://www.governor.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/proclamations/Public%20Safety%20Telecommunicators%20Week%202022.pdf> the week of April 10-16 as Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.

State Radio<https://www.des.nd.gov/state-radio-depth> coordinates 9-1-1 services, as well as emergency medical, fire and law enforcement response across North Dakota. It provides all public safety communications for 25 counties and is the primary dispatch center for the North Dakota Highway Patrol. In 2021, State Radio emergency dispatchers fielded calls for 232,210 events, including emergency, non-emergency and 9-1-1 hang-up calls.