Toronto – Mayor Olivia Chow joined the Toronto Police Service, Toronto Paramedic Services and Toronto Fire Services for a ceremony to honour the recipients of the City of Toronto’s annual Telecommunicator of the Year Awards.
The awards ceremony coincides with the 9-1-1 Telecommunicators Week, observed from Monday, April 14 to Friday, April 18. Through this week, the City is celebrating the dedicated emergency telecommunicators who are first responders and play an essential role in Toronto’s emergency services and response efforts.
Award winners are nominated by their peers and receive commemorative trophies to recognize their achievements.
This year’s award recipients are:
Nadia Sidhu – Toronto Police Service: Communications Operator of the Year
Awarded to a Communications Operator who demonstrates incredible skill under pressure and exemplifies teamwork and professionalism during their call-taking or dispatching duties. While maintaining business continuity, Nadia worked collaboratively and proactively during a dynamic call involving an injured officer. Due to her actions, the suspect was safely taken into custody and the officer recovered from their injuries.
Shawn Mascarenhas – Toronto Police Service: Member Impact Award
Awarded to a Communications Operator who has a positive impact on morale, is supportive of other members and promotes engagement. This award was created to honour the memory of Communications Services member Kim Ferris who passed away in 2023. The recipient this year, Shawn, comes to work every day with a compassionate energy and is consistently kind and even-tempered. He has been a mentor to many members and has always been a pillar of emotional support in moments of crisis.
Valerie Lundy – Toronto Police Service: Coach of the Year Award
Awarded to a Communications Operator who always goes above and beyond when training new members. They demonstrate not only technical expertise and strong teaching abilities, but also emotional intelligence, mentorship and commitment to coaching. Valerie takes great pride in training and has equipped many operators with the skills and resilience needed in this line of work. She creates a learning environment that is supportive and challenging and has set a gold standard in operator training.
Simon Kako – Toronto Paramedic Services: Emergency Medical Dispatcher of the Year Award
Awarded to an Emergency Medical Dispatcher who serves as a role model to others, provides proactive support to the entire team and is a consistent high performer. Simon is incredibly supportive to those starting their careers and is very knowledgeable about all aspects of this challenging job. Simon displays a high-level of professionalism with his coworkers in the Central Ambulance Communications Centre and in Paramedic Operations.
Andra Milosav – Toronto Paramedic Services: Call Taker of the Year Award
Awarded to a Call Taker who consistently demonstrates a positive attitude, excellent customer service, and willingness to learn and grow. Andra is dedicated and always calm under pressure. She has a unique ability to connect with callers, conveying empathy and reassurance. Andra is always pleasant and professional and has a great sense of humour.
Lindsay Hunt – Toronto Paramedic Services: Senior Emergency Medical Dispatcher Leadership Award
Awarded to a Senior Emergency Medical Dispatcher who consistently demonstrates advanced leadership skills while creating and fostering a collaborative and effective work environment. Lindsay is a proven leader who is well-versed in all areas of call taking, dispatching and organizational policies, providing excellent advice, guidance and leadership to all Communications Centre staff. Lindsay empowers her colleagues with constructive feedback and is always willing to help.
Dean Prosser – Toronto Paramedic Services: Communications Training Officer (CTO) Mentor Award
Awarded to a Communications Training Officer who consistently creates a supportive learning environment for mentorship, advocates for patients, peers and students while demonstrating initiative and pride in teaching. Dean is highly regarded by his colleagues as an invaluable source of advice for all situations. Dean maintains a mindset that prioritizes patient and paramedic safety, and he consistently creates a healthy environment that facilitates the best learning journey for his students.
Communications Staff on Duty July 16, 2024 – Toronto Fire Services Communications: Telecommunicator of the Year Team Award
Awarded to an emergency communication team that handled an unforeseen or unusually challenging situation causing each nominee to handle additional responsibilities in addition to their regularly assigned duties. On July 16, 2024, Toronto experienced significant rainfall, leading to flooding as well as widespread power outages. TFS Communications staff on duty responded with remarkable efficiency, handling nearly 1,700 calls and dispatching crews to almost 500 incidents between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. These included more than 50 elevator rescues and 50 water-related incidents each, and more than 20 rescues of individuals trapped in vehicles and buildings due to flooding. Their efficiency and professionalism in processing and managing these calls ensured every emergency received a prompt and coordinated response.
“These telecommunicators are the calm and reliable voices behind every 9-1-1 call, ensuring swift and coordinated action during critical moments. We owe them a great debt of gratitude and praise for the important and essential work they do. Congratulations to all the incredible recipients of this year’s Telecommunicator awards.” – Mayor Olivia Chow