SUMMIT COUNTY — Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro announced Sept. 19 that members of the Summit Emergency Communication Center (SECC), the largest 911 center in the county, and members of the Executive’s Department of Public Safety, were recently honored with Gold Star Awards by the Ohio departments in the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO).
Right (left to right): SECC Director David O’Neal was named Director/Manager of the Year and 911 Coordinator Michael Banks was named Coordinator of the Year. In addition, the county’s radio system administrator Michael Szabo was nominated for Information/Radio Frequency Technologist of the Year.
“I am so proud of our broadcast team and all they have accomplished since we opened the SECC last year,” Shapiro said. “Emergency communications requires every member of the team to perform at the highest level every day to save lives. These awards are a testament to the great work that goes on at the county’s newest and largest dispatch center.”
OENA and OAPCO developed the Gold Star Awards program to honor outstanding individual and team achievements that occur while the individual or group of telecommunicators is in service. The awards recognize the important contributions public safety professionals make to the safety and well-being of communities throughout the state.
To learn more about the Gold Star Awards, visit ohionena.org/ohio-gold-star-award-program.