FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, June 13, 2024

Contact: Tony Mangan, Communications Director, 605-773-6878

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley congratulates the 17 students who will graduate Friday from the state 911 Basic Telecommunicator Certification Course.

Friday’s graduation marks the completion of the two-week course for the students who represent 15 different law enforcement or communication centers statewide.

“These telecommunicators play an important role in the response process because they are the first voices that people hear when they call for any kind of assistance,” said Attorney General Jackley. “They make sure help gets to where it is needed.”

The two-week course includes training and hands-on exercises on issues such as public safety telecommunications, how to respond to questions from the caller, how to handle both emergency and non-emergency calls for service, and how to prioritize multiple incidents happening at one time.

Instructors are staff from the state Division of Criminal Investigation’s Office of Law Enforcement Training, which is part of the Attorney General’s Office; experienced 911 telecommunicators from across the state, and public safety stakeholders.

Friday’s graduation starts at 3:30 p.m. in the George S. Mickelson Criminal Justice Center in Pierre. Chief Deputy Attorney General Brent Kempema will be the guest speaker.

Members of the 75th session of the 911 Basic Telecommunicator Certification Course and their agencies are:

*** Daniel Albright, Roberts County Sheriff’s Office.

*** Arbana Cudmore, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.

*** Shannon DeFries, Bon Homme County Sheriff’s Office.

*** Madeline Ellerbusch, Watertown Police Department.

*** Jenna Gau, Roberts County Sheriff’s Office.

*** Sterling Hillmer, South Dakota State University Police.

*** Jessica Jolly, Spink County Sheriff’s Office.

*** Brieanna Kringlie, Custer County Communications.

*** Lillian Lane, University of South Dakota.

*** Eric Lee, Brookings Police Department.

*** Anastacia Martinez, Pennington County Emergency Services Communications Center.

*** Kaeden Nelson-Hare, Huron Police Department.

*** Victoria Pickett, Butte County Sheriff’s Office.

*** Kara Shangreaux, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety.

*** Lori Tokley, Butte County Sheriff’s Office.

*** Nicole Trometer, Clay Area Emergency Communications.

*** Robert Witherspoon, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office.

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