Ellis County Sheriff’s Office Communications Division honored at NCTCOG awards ceremony

Submitted photo.

Sheriff’s Office telecommunicator Debra Murray was named NCTCOG Telecommunicator of the Year in 2015.

ELLIS COUNTY — The North Central Texas Council of Governments recently held its annual awards ceremony, with the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office Communications Division receiving several recognitions. Sixteen counties and multiple city agencies have dispatch centers in the NCTCOG region.

Sheriff’s Office telecommunicator Debra Murray was named NCTCOG Telecommunicator of the Year. Murray’s nomination was for her handling of a June 2015 call from a homeowner reporting someone was trying to break into the residence. Murray was on the line with the caller when she heard gunshots; she immediately dispatched units to the area and coordinated a multi-agency response to the scene. From start to finish, the incident lasted about three hours, culminating when a suspect was taken into custody.

"This is a team thing," Murray said of her work. "I may have taken the call, but they (her co-workers) kept dispatch flowing. We all contributed to it. I just happened to be the one that answered it."

Murray started her dispatch career with the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office in 2008. She holds an advanced telecommunicator certificate from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

Submitted photo.

Ellis County Sheriff's Office telecommunicator Jeff Shepherd was named 9-1-1 Professional of the Year in 2015.

Ellis County Sheriff’s Office telecommunicator Jeff Shepherd was named 9-1-1 Professional of the Year. This is an award given to a handful of dispatchers each year as recognition of their professional dedication and excellence. Shepherd, who has 15 years total service as a telecommunicator, started his dispatch career in Maryland before joining the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office in 2003.

"Working as a team is the best part of this job," Shepherd said. "I enjoy doing this; I wouldn’t trade it for anything or have it any other way. I enjoy the people I work with; it’s why I come to work."

The Ellis County Sheriff’s Office dispatch shift of Kristie Brewer, Jennifer Pitts and Amy Zapata was nominated for Team of the Year and was recognized as a finalist for the honor during the luncheon. The trio was nominated for a June 2015 call where they handled communications relating to an initial traffic stop that turned into a chase when the suspects stole another agency’s patrol unit. Multiple agencies were involved prior to the incident’s conclusion after several hours’ duration. Their nomination spoke of their professionalism during the incident and how they maintained control of the various communication activities while ensuring information was relayed to all responding units for their safety and wellbeing.

Submitted photo.

Ellis County Sheriff's Office dispatch shift of Kristie Brewer (pictured), Jennifer Pitts and Amy Zapata was nominated for Team of the Year and was recognized as a finalist for the honor during the luncheon.

Brewer, who holds an advanced telecommunicator certificate, has 14 years experience as a dispatcher, with 12.5 of those with the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office. "We care," Brewer said of the telecommunicators’ work. "We’re not just here for the paycheck."

Submitted photo.

Ellis County Sheriff's Office dispatch shift of Kristie Brewer, Jennifer Pitts (pictured) and Amy Zapata (pictured) was nominated for Team of the Year and was recognized as a finalist for the honor during the luncheon.

Pitts has five years total experience, with four at the Sheriff’s Office; she has an advanced telecommunicator certificate. "We work really well together," Pitts said. "We listen to each other’s channels in addition to our own. We don’t have to ask each other for help. We just do it and help each other out. It gets things done faster and efficiently."

Zapata has three years total experience, with 1.5 at the Sheriff’s Office; she holds an intermediate telecommunicator certificate. "We really support each other," Zapata said. "We’re like brothers and sisters; it’s family. We do this for the community."

The Ellis County Sheriff’s Office Communications Division also received an award for taking more TDD/TT (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf and Text Telephone) calls than any other agency in the area, with more than 1,600 calls fielded over the past year.