Member of Public Safety Communications takes home award
Published on April 25, 2023
A four-month effort focused on identifying areas of improvement in emergency medical dispatching (EMD) protocols has earned Weld County EMD Quality Performance Improvement Coordinator Michelle Haynes international recognition. Last week, her research poster was named Poster of the Year by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) at its 2023 Navigator Conference in Denver.
“I’m so grateful and humbled to receive this award,” said Haynes, who’s been with the Weld County Regional Communications Center (WCRCC) for 19 years. “This project was exciting for me because I was able to take my passion for quality improvement and use that to create conversation and drive change. This research just scratches the surface, and I look forward to what the future brings.”
Haynes’ poster titled, “An overall QA approach for performance within the MPDS” focuses on evaluating the quality assurance of medical protocols used industrywide in public safety communications. It identifies errors in protocol usage as well as some of the reasons why they occur. Haynes is hopeful the information in the poster will lead to more conversations and solutions that increase the success of compliance in medical protocols.
“By digging deep into protocol performance, we can give dispatchers the tools they need to perform successfully so they can continue to provide the best service to our responders and citizens,” she said.
Haynes is the first member of the Weld County Department of Public Safety Communications to receive the award for Poster of the Year. Her poster, which she began working on in January of this year, beat out 10 other submissions, and she was credited for her “commitment to the ongoing study of all things related to emergency dispatch,” according to an IAED Facebook post.
“Our regional communications center has long been thought of as one of the best nationwide, and this award continues to solidify that belief,” said Mike Freeman, Weld County Commissioner Chair. “We applaud Michelle for her desire to make 911 services the best they can be."
To those that work directly with Haynes, the award fills them with pride and exemplifies the continued dedication she’s had throughout her career.
“Michelle’s commitment and knowledge to the protocol is unmeasurable to the industry,” said Julie Nelson, WCRCC Manager. “Her compassion and drive helps each one of our dispatchers be more successful daily.”
In the picture above: Michelle Haynes (center) with IAED President Jerry Overton (left) and Greg Scott, IAED Associate Director of Protocol Evolution (right).