Every year, the North Central Texas Emergency Communication District (NCT9-1-1) hosts a 9-1-1 Gala to honor and commemorate 9-1-1 telecommunicators, supervisors, trainers, public educators, and Emergency Communications Centers (ECCs) within the NCT9-1-1 service area. The 9-1-1 Gala is 100% sponsored and is possible due to the gracious support from vendors. The event brings together representatives from the NCT9-1-1 service area to reflect upon the past year and acknowledge those that went above and beyond.
History of the 9-1-1 Gala
Prior to 2020, NCT9-1-1 hosted luncheons during a quarterly ECC Supervisor meeting where awards were presented in various categories. After years of doing this, the Operations team evaluated the possibility of transforming the awards luncheon into something bigger. Months of researching what others did led to a thought becoming a reality. The first 9-1-1 Gala was to be held in March 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic halted the event from occurring. After two years of waiting, NCT9-1-1 hosted the first 9-1-1 Gala in April 2022 during National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. This was the first entertaining event that NCT9-1-1 hosted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the smiling faces of those that attended were a welcomed sight.
The 2023 9-1-1 Gala
The 2023 9-1-1 Gala theme was Texas. ECC representatives, NCT9-1-1 staff members, and vendor sponsors dusted off their boots and enjoyed a night of fun, food, dancing, and awards. With over 200 guests in attendance, the 2023 9-1-1 Gala was a momentous success.
The recipients of the 2023 9-1-1 Gala awards were as followed:
- 2022 Agency of the year- Hood County Sheriff’s Office
- 2022 Telecommunicator of the Year – Cody Quebedeaux, Allen Police Department
- 2022 Telecommunications Team of the Year – Navarro County Sheriff’s Office
- 2022 Supervisor of the Year – Tyler Brown, Hood County Sheriff’s Office
- 2022 Public Education Professional of the Year – Jaime Gibson, Allen Police Department
- 2022 Training Professional of the Year – Jennifer Hampton, Ellis County Sheriff’s Office
- 2022 TDD/TTY Above and Beyond – Prosper Police Department
- 2022 Professionalism Awards-
- Emily Sartor, Collin County Sheriff’s Office
- Elyssa Ellis, Corsicana Police Department
- Jenny Leyva, Corsicana Police Department
- Debra Murray, Ellis County Sheriff’s Office
- Cherise Cubberly, Frisco Police Department
- Katelyn Giesemann, McKinney Police Department
- Kaylei Hickey, Weatherford Police Department
NCT9-1-1 is thankful for the generosity and support of the vendor sponsorship as the 9-1-1 Gala could not have been hosted without them. Thank you to RapidDeploy, Synergem Technologies, Datamark, and Mission Critical Partners. Also, thank you to Cathy Kim Le photography for her voluntary services of capturing wonderful memories and It’s Your Night DJ services for the impressive dance music mix.