Dispatcher of the Year 2024

Jonathan Cook 

Jonathan restarted his dispatching career at County Communications on October 17, 2022. Having been employed by County Communications previously, he was able to quickly refresh himself with policy and procedures and was working independently shortly after his return. He is knowledgeable, reliable, and will offer his assistance when needed, regardless of the task at hand. As a Communications Training Officer (CTO), he develops and refines training materials for others in the CTO program and is often taking the initiative to do so on his own for the better of the department. In addition to his dedication to the program, he also teaches in the academy as a CAD instructor and has taken the initiative to assist with the development of training materials for his peers after the Department’s CAD implementation.  Jonathan is an active member on our interview panels and also participates in the Department’s Outreach and Recruitment Team. Involvement in each of these groups shows Jonathan’s commitment to the future of our Department and his vested interest in sharing knowledge with potential candidates. Jonathan has also participated in our community work groups which assist with reviewing newly developed policies and procedures, trains staff when new policies and procedures are enacted, and takes an active role in furthering the efficiency of our dispatch communities. It is clear from Jonathan’s involvement in each of these areas that he has a commendable work ethic and strives for growth and development in all that he does.
Over the course of his career, Jonathan has worked many high priority incidents and has always conducted himself professionally. He can be relied upon to perform his duties per policy and provide that calmness that is relied upon by our partners in the field. His professionalism extends to his co-workers, stakeholders, and citizens. He is compassionate and conducts himself with honesty and integrity while treating everyone with respect. Jonathan’s dedication to his craft in the realm of public safety, and in those who he works with day in and day out, is truly admirable and shows his understanding and appreciation of how important our role is.

Megan Mahoney

Megan began her dispatching career at County Communications on March 17, 2014, and since then, she has grown into a self-assured, proactive, and engaged dispatcher. She is well-regarded among her peers and is an invaluable source of knowledge; she is approachable, has good instincts, and gives sound direction. As a Communications Training Officer (CTO), she has a passion for enhancing both the learning and training experience for trainees and trainers alike. This contributes to the long-term success of the trainees and our training program. She is also an active participant in the academy as an instructor for both CAD and Officer Safety, she participates on both the interview panels as well as on our Tactical Dispatch team.
Megan is a highly active member of the Dispatch Recognition Team (DRT) and devotes her time and energy to recognizing members of our department. By reminding her peers how important they are and that the job they do matters, she helps boost morale and provide recognition that is often lacking within our profession. She is also a member of our Outreach and Recruitment Team. She volunteers for events where she can raise awareness and engage members of the community. She is also trained to Work out of Class (WOOC) and can supervise the dispatch floor when needed.
It is clear from this long list of program involvement; how dedicated Megan is to public safety and the work that she does here at County Communications. This work is recognized and appreciated by the Department and her peers. While all of this work is important, possibly the largest impact she had amongst her peers has yet to be mentioned.