Leon County’s Superstar
Communications Training Officer [CTO] Marilyn Brawer is the radio dispatcher who I would trust with my life. She consistently exceeds expectations. CTO Brawer works every call as if it’s the only one going on at the moment. She uses all available resources to data mine and pack the record. CTO Brawer provides the responders with all relevant information throughout the given incident. Her documentation of transmissions is also pristine.
On June 8th, 2022, CTO Brawer worked the NW district radio channel. That same night, there was a shooting incident on the South district channel with a suspect who fled in a vehicle. The suspect was believed to be headed into the NW district. There were deputies in the area attempting to locate it. A deputy spotted the vehicle and got behind it. Shortly after, the deputy advised that the suspect collided with a Tallahassee Police officer’s patrol vehicle.
CTO Brawer’s NW deputies advised that they would be looking for the vehicle. A few TPD officers began to make their way to the area as well. Some of the PD units’ AVLs mapped, but most of them did not. When the deputy advised that there had been a crash involving a TPD vehicle, whose AVL did not map, CTO Brawer immediately knew who it was. CTO Brawer always knows where her units are, regardless of their AVL status, just as she did this time.
The crash resulted in a law enforcement fatality. This was a very stressful and difficult situation, but CTO Brawer handled seamlessly. Through the duration of the incident, there was a lot to coordinate and manage since there were multiple agencies and countless officers involved. CTO Brawer made sure the correct CAD screens were initiated and that everyone was assigned to the one for their respective agency. All of the transmissions from everyone involved in the incident were documented, clearly and concisely, into the call notes. All of the notifications requested from supervisors on the road were documented and made. Throughout the incident, CTO Brawer maintained a calm and collected tone on the radio, even while there was true panic and desperation in the voices of the units on the road. There was also a lot of back and forth with the EMS and Fire dispatchers in the room, but Brawer remained professional with them also.
CTO Brawer handled this incident like a true professional. She was the calm voice on the other end of the radio. She made all the required notifications, documented all necessary transmissions, and communicated with the other dispatchers and supervisors in the room, making sure that nothing was missed.
