A Las Vegas Fire & Rescue 9-1-1 dispatcher will be recognized by the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International in a ceremony at the Las Vegas Convention Center Tuesday morning. An 11-year-old boy that the dispatcher assisted when he called 9-1-1 will also be recognized.

Communications Specialist Tina M. DeCola has been with the Fire Alarm Office for the past seven years. The Fire Alarm Office handles 9-1-1 fire and medical calls for the city of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Clark County. The center handles over 350,000 calls each year.

She will be receiving the 9-1-1 for Kids National & International “Local 9-1-1 Heroes Award.” The award comes from a call she received on June 8, 2008 when 11-year-old John Kevin Strickland Jr. called and stated his father would not wake up. In talking to the boy, DeCola determined the father was in cardiac arrest. She instructed the boy on how to perform CPR until paramedics arrived on the scene. DeCola was able to stay calm and instructed the boy on what to do. Two smaller siblings could be heard crying frantically in the background during the conversation which made for a very stressful situation.

The boy is being recognized for calling 9-1-1 correctly, explaining the situation and following the dispatcher’s instructions.  He was able to give a concise report of what was happing and his address so paramedics could get to the scene quickly. “John stayed calm during a very frantic situation and did an excellent job calling 9-1-1,” said a representative from the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International.

Both will receive their awards at the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International Conference that is currently in progress at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The awards will be presented on Tuesday at 10:45 a.m. Each will receive a medal, certificate and several certificates from various government officials congratulating them on their awards.