WINNSBORO – Alexis Thompson, a telecommunicator with Fairfield County Emergency Management/911, thought she had been invited to Monday night’s county council meeting to answer questions about her department’s budget. When she entered the council chambers, however, her supervisor, Brad Douglas, Director of the county’s Emergency Management, awarded Alexis the S. C. Palmetto Award for her professionalism in the use of Medical Dispatch software.
That’s the software telecommunicators are trained with to provide potential life-saving first aid instructions/directions to 911 callers while they are waiting on EMS to arrive, Douglas explained to council and members of the audience, which included Thompson’s mother, April Thompson and family friend Mary Brown.
Douglas said Alexis, who has been a telecommunicator for five years, “always has a positive attitude and a smile on her face. She’s the epitome of a team player and always conducts herself in a professional manner,” Douglas said.
Like all of the county’s telecomunicators, Alexis deals with life and death situations.
In April, 2020, she was involved in a medical incident during which she calmly and professionally took charge. The wife of a coronary patient called 911 as she was driving her husband to the emergency room because he was experiencing a medical emergency, Douglas explained.
“Due to the husband’s deteriorating medical condition, Alexis directed the wife to stop the vehicle and park in a safe area to await EMS arrival,” Douglas said. “While waiting for EMS, Alexis continued to communicate with the wife to keep her calm, all while providing valuable, life-saving information to her through the use of the Emergency Medical Dispatch software until EMS arrived.”
“Alexis’ dedication to her profession is a credit to Fairfield County Emergency Management/911 and to all of our telecommunications personnel,” Douglas said. “And we applaud you Alexis.”