The Idaho Falls Police Department is pleased to announce Travis Conquergood as the recipient of the 2017 “Dispatcher of the Year” Award.

Conquergood was honored at the Idaho Falls Bonneville 911 Center on Monday.

“Travis has always been a compassionate, kindhearted dispatcher,” 911 Center Manager Andi Anderson said. “Without fail, he is patient with callers and he always seems to get the difficult calls and he excels at dealing with them.”

Conquergood, who has been a dispatcher for 14 years, was nominated by his co-workers to receive this award because of his “knack for staying calm in any situation” as he assists the caller. They also said he’s a great teacher as he gives clear instructions and explanations.

He is also a great team player.

The “Dispatcher of the Year” is awarded annually during National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, which was held last week.

National Public Safety Telecommunications Week is designed to raise awareness about the hard work and dedication of 911 dispatchers and other telecommunications staff. These include the technicians that maintain radio and emergency phone systems, those who train communications staff and the supervisors and managers of communications centers across the country.

“Dispatchers play an essential role in our department,” Idaho Falls Police Chief Mark McBride said. “We are fortunate to have so many dedicated, professional and expert dispatchers like Travis at our center responding to citizens and our first-responders.”