By AFRO Staff
The AFRO celebrated the bravery and determination of the local emergency services community on Oct. 24. The event took place at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore.
Last year’s event highlighted the resilience of funeral home directors during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, 911 operators and dispatchers who work with the fire department in Baltimore were celebrated.
Honorees for the 2024 installment of the publication’s “Unsung Heroes” luncheon included Tenea Reddick, who began her career as a 911 operator and now serves as 911 director for the City of Baltimore; Victoria Cromwell, a former medic who now acts as lead specialist in the 911 center, dispatching calls for the Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD); Clarence Spencer, who trains 911 specialists, laying a solid foundation for new emergency workers; Sharon Roy, a fire dispatcher of more than 25 years; Theodore Heinbuch, who is living his childhood dream of being a 911 dispatcher, and Shamonique Davis the “eye in the sky” when Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge was struck by a container ship and plunged into the Patapsco River. The BCFD dispatcher provided crucial support for those immediately impacted by the collapse, as she provided emergency services on the fateful night of March 26.
“It was the hardest thing I think I’ve ever had to do as a first responder, but I rose above it, I conquered and I’m proud of myself,” said Davis, a 26 years old.
“I’m not used to getting awards for doing my job,” she said, moments after the ceremony. “It is an amazing and humbling experience to know that when it was time for me to do my job- when it really counted-I stepped up to the plate and I was able to do it in a professional manner. I was able to do something that my department could be proud of.”
According to the National Emergency Number Association “an estimated 240 million calls are made to 9-1-1 in the U.S. each year. From minor car accidents to the most dire life or death situations, those who answer the calls for help are the true definition of “grace under pressure.”
Chaplain Avery Thurman, a pump operator for BCFD, weighed in on the importance of holding an event specifically for those who get few opportunities to be in the spotlight.
“I think it is a great occasion anytime we can celebrate those who work behind the scenes and oftentimes aren’t in the front for people to see their contribution,” he said.
This year’s celebration was catered by Class Act Catering, and included a spoken word performance by Dikesha Robinson, the “Butterfly Poet,” and a song selection by AFRO Managing Editor Alexis Taylor, who sang “Hero,” by Mariah Carey.
Fire Chief James Wallace, who gave remarks during the luncheon, spoke with the AFRO after the ceremony, praising the crucial work of dispatchers.
“They work hard every day,” he said. “The thing about our dispatchers and 911 call takers- they are oftentimes faceless, but they are the first domino in public safety when it comes to an emergency. We rely very heavily on our call takers but also on our dispatchers to get us where we need to be.”
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