You might say Erin Eaton is an overachiever and, in the words of NWCDS announcing her promotion to Operations Manager in December 2020, it makes a lot of sense. After all, according to the citation, Eaton is a “high performer with an impeccable record, including numerous Shining Star awards.”
At NAVIGATOR, she added yet another award. Eaton was chosen “Dispatcher of the Year” for similar reasons from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch® (IAED™) standpoint. Brian Dale,
IAED Associate Director of Medical and Quality Control, who brought Eaton to the stage for the award, said Eaton personifies what the profession is all about.
“She is engaged in her agency’s ideals and exemplifies the Academy’s ideals,” Dale said. While the audio file of the call submitted as part of the nomination doesn’t “make or break” the final selection, the call played during the NAVIGATOR awards presentation highlighted her ability to help the caller in the toughest of situations. In this call, a husband found his wife hanging from a rope in their garage. Eaton provided PAIs for loosening the noose, lowering his wife gently to the floor, and giving CPR (ventilations and chest compressions).
When accepting the award, Eaton said she was grateful for the occasion that brought the dispatch family together after a tumultuous year. “I’m so happy to be around people again, the people who love their work as much as I do,” Eaton said. “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”
Eaton is an 18-year veteran of NWCDS and a certified EMD, EMD-Q®, EFD, and EFD-Q.
