FINALISTS UNVEILED FOR PRESTIGIOUS 2024 CONTROL ROOM AWARDS

The Control Room Awards 2024 finalists have been revealed. These awards celebrate the immense skill, commitment, and resilience of individuals and teams working in control rooms. They recognise the vital contributions of control room operators across various services, including police, fire, ambulance, HM Coastguard, and other critical control operations throughout the UK.

Now in their seventh year, the Control Room Awards are the only accolades dedicated to honouring the extraordinary contributions of these often unseen heroes of the emergency services. The winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony on July 18 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Stoke on Trent.

The finalists were selected by a high-level judging panel comprising leaders with extensive experience in the control room sector:

• Andy Day, Director of Business Development (Public Safety Group), Sopra Steria
• Duncan Swan, Chief Operating Officer, British APCO
• Ben Hawkins, Former Winner and Ambulance Dispatch Team Leader

Control Room Awards co-founder Mike Isherwood said, “I would like to thank all our judges for bringing their experience and expertise to the judging process and the organisations they represent for supporting the awards. Our excellent judges each provide a really valuable perspective and give added weight to the awards.

"The outstanding quality of the judging panel also recognises the ever-growing profile within the emergency services sector of control room teams and colleagues – and of these awards which celebrate their vital work. Congratulations to all our finalists. They can look forward to the awards ceremony, which promises to be an amazing celebration of the control room community.”

For the third consecutive year, European tech leader Sopra Steria is the Major Sponsor of the Control Room Awards and sponsors the Dispatcher of the Year Award. Sopra Steria’s STORM command and control system is used by nearly 70% of UK police forces.

Andy Day, Director of Business Development (Public Safety Group) at Sopra Steria, said:

“Sopra Steria are again delighted to support the Control Room Awards. I am really pleased to return to the judging panel this year after last year's amazing awards. The Control Room Awards are a fantastic way to recognise and celebrate the selfless commitments of those working across emergency first contact and public safety organisations. Coming from this background myself, I am very aware of the brilliant people who keep us safe and the sacrifices they often make to do so.

The judging panel this year had such a tough job due to the sheer volume and excellence of the nominations. It’s great to see so many organisations represented, and a special thanks should go to all the line managers and colleagues who put the time and effort into the nomination. I have no doubt a great majority of this work was done in their own time.

I am really looking forward to the awards night; it’s shaping up to be one of the best ones yet!”

Other organisations supporting this year’s Control Room Awards include the world's leading security technology provider, Motorola, British APCO, the leading UK association for professionals using or deploying public safety technology, Zetron, and System Q.

The finalists for the 2024 awards are as follows:

Bravery and Courage Award

• Bonita Richards, East of England Ambulance Service 
• Jodie Stammers, Kent Police 
• Edward Elias, Thames Valley Police 

Community Champion Award

• Tracey Halloran, West Midlands Fire Service 
• Jennifer Louth, Kent Police 
• Victoria Lamb, Hampshire Constabulary 

Control Room Ambassador of the Year - Sponsored by System Q

• Steve Reid, Avon and Somerset Police 
• Sam Catmull, Kent Police 
• Kelly Whitmore, West Midlands Fire Service 

Control Room Call Taker of the Year - Sponsored by Zetron 

• Rachel Brown, North East Ambulance Service 
• Hannah Scott, Thames Valley Police
• Aaron Pell and Nikki Smith, West Midlands Fire Control 
• Georgia English, Kent Police 

Control Room Dispatcher of the Year – Sponsored by Sopra Steria 

• Georgina Drewery, Humberside Police
• Megan Jewitt, South East Coast Ambulance Service 
• Gemma Warwick-Mitchell, London Ambulance Service 

John Gilhooly Award

• Claire Haynes, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service 
• Daniel Peters, Thames Valley Police 
• Paul Newstead, Hampshire and Isle of White Constabulary 

Leader of the Year

• Graham Hawley, Cumbria Constabulary
• Westley Shaw, South East Coast Ambulance Service 
• Victoria Grimwood, Devon and Cornwall Police  

Lifetime Achievement

• Elizabeth Sugden, Humberside Police
• Cathy Duffy, Leicestershire Police 
• Sarah Mears, Kent Police

Services to the Public

• Stacey Slade, West Yorkshire Police 
• Lorraine Summerfield, Humberside Police 
• Nige Sobey, Devon and Cornwall Police 

Team of the Year - Sponsored by Motorola

• Enhanced Crisis Communications Team, Devon and Cornwall Police 
• B Watch - EOC North, London Ambulance Service 
• Team C, National Ambulance Service Ireland 

The British APCO Control Room Innovation Award

• Nick Sutton, Scottish Ambulance Service 
• Chris Philpott, Humberside Police 
• The CM101 Victim Portal Team, Hampshire Constabulary/Thames Valley Police 

Young Achiever of the Year

• Thomas Valentine, Scottish Ambulance Service 
• Ellie Parsons, North East Ambulance Service 
• Chloe Turner, West Yorkshire Police 

For more information on the Control Room Awards, visit www.controlroomawards.com.

You can also follow the Control Room Awards on Facebook: @controlroomawards; Twitter: @CR_Awards; and LinkedIn: Control Room Awards.