The Florida Sheriffs Association is pleased to announce that Public Safety Telecommunicator Specialist McKenzie Davis of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has been selected as the 2021 Dispatcher of the Year. Each year, this award is presented at the FSA Winter Conference to an officer who has demonstrated exceptional service in the line of duty. The award is sponsored by L3Harris Technologies.

Davis began her career at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in 2018 at only 19-years-old. She is the daughter of the Detention Services Commander Glenn Davis. In her short time in the communication center, she has made an incredible impact on the community and within the agency. She excels at being able to take control of situations and remain calm during high stress situations. She consistently performs to exemplary standards and was credited with saving a total of four lives in 2020, two of them within one hour apart on the same day.

As a communication specialist, each shift is different and you never know what is going to be on the other end of the call. You must be mentally prepared, skilled and ready to handle any emergency.

On August 5, 2020, Davis answered a call of a mother who stated her one-year-old daughter was having a seizure and had stopped breathing. Davis remained calm and reacted immediately to talk to the mother through CPR instructions while fire rescue was responding. When the mother started to panic, Davis reminded her to stay focused and continued to walk her through all the CPR necessary steps. After a round of CPR, the mother advised Davis that the baby started breathing again. Davis received a lifesaving award for this event.

On September 6, 2020, Davis handled two separate calls an hour apart during her 12-hour shift and, due to her diligence, calm demeanor and expertise, she saved two lives that day.

The first call Davis answered was a frantic mother advising her infant was not breathing. Davis was able to take control the call and calm the mother down enough for her to follow CPR instructions that ended up saving her child’s life.

Almost an hour after that call, Davis answered a female who advised her husband was in the pool and not breathing. Davis instructed to get the male out of the pool, which was accomplished by other family members on scene. Davis had the caller put her on speaker so she could walk through CPR instructions. She directed CPR efforts until deputies arrived on scene. When the patient was transported to the hospital, he had a strong pulse. Davis received another lifesaving award for this event.

Communications Specialist McKenzie Davis epitomizes true grit and professionalism required of a dispatcher in today’s world. She is quick-witted, resourceful and diligent. It was those qualities and her heroic instincts that led to saving four lives in 2020.

“All these events could have had very different outcomes if not for Communications Specialist McKenzie Davis’s professional training and staying calm under continued pressure,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “She saved two lives in one shift alone, which makes her a hero in our agency and in our community.”

The Florida Sheriffs Association Dispatcher of the Year Award is proudly sponsored by L3 Harris Technologies. View the official award video here: https://youtu.be/8HCZnb_uCt8

About Florida Sheriffs Association:
The Florida Sheriffs Association is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation made up of the Sheriffs of Florida, approximately 3,500 business leaders and 90,000 citizens throughout the state. Founded in 1893, FSA has steadfastly served the citizens of Florida by supporting the needs of the state's law enforcement community. Through the Florida Sheriffs Association, Sheriffs are given a forum to address lawmakers to push for positive changes in Florida’s public safety arena. FSA also provides Sheriffs' Offices much-needed programs such as affordable training, special task forces and legislative and legal services. Dedicated to the prevention of juvenile delinquency and the development of lawful, productive citizens, FSA has established and funded the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches with facilities throughout the state to help restore hope, fulfill dreams, and prepare boys and girls for the future. It has grown to be one of the largest and most successful state law enforcement associations in the nation. For more information on the Florida Sheriffs Association, visit www.flsheriffs.org.

About L3Harris Technologies:
L3Harris Public Safety and Professional Communications is a leading supplier of communications systems and equipment for public safety, federal, utility, commercial and transportation markets. The business has more than 80 years of experience in public safety and professional communications and supports more than 500 systems around the world.  Learn more at www.l3harris.com.