TRENTON -- Sixteen New Jersey residents were presented recently with 9-1-1 Lifeline awards during a special ceremony celebrating the state's first Annual 9-1-1 Heroes Day.

The 9-1-1 Heroes ceremony was part of National Telecommunicators Week, April 14-20, and recognized New Jersey's telecommunicators, citizens, youth, and groups for their quick-thinking, fast actions, and heroism following the use of the emergency 9-1-1 system for police, fire, or emergency medical service.

"Today is a special day and what we plan to be the first of many celebrations honoring all types of heroes in New Jersey who use the 9-1-1 emergency system," said 9-1-1 Commission Chairman Charles S. Dawson, chief technology officer for the Office of Information Technology. "And, we are fortunate here in New Jersey to have our own highly trained and skilled Public Safety Telecommunicators who serve 24/7 protecting the safety of citizens and emergency responders." There are 330 9-1-1 centers in New Jersey he noted.

Dawson said that often telecommunicators are the "unsung silent heroes" who handle more than 600,000 emergency 9-1-1 calls a month and contribute substantially to public safety and homeland security efforts.

During the ceremony Dawson read a proclamation by Governor James E. McGreevey proclaiming April 14-20 Telecommunicators Week.

Joining Dawson in the presentation of the 9-1-1 awards were Craig Reiner, director of the Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services and Bonnie Hueg, coordinator of Emergency Telecommunications Services and the vice-president for the New Jersey Chapter of the National Emergency Number Association.

"I am proud to see that New Jersey has so many heroes of all ages and from all walks of life who used 9-1-1 when they had a life-threatening emergency. Today's heroes are good examples of citizens providing accurate information to the dispatchers who in turn responded promptly with the right life-saving instructions," said Reiner.

The 9-1-1 Lifeline Award recipients are:

YOUTH HERO:

Josh Dixon, 12, of Pittsgrove (Salem County) Josh was nominated for the Youth Hero award by the Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services for making the right call to 9-1-1 when his mother was kicked in the chest by a horse. He attempted to bring a cordless phone where his mother lay injured, but realized that he was out of range for the base and moved closer to the house to answer the call taker's questions. The New Jersey Chapter also presented Josh with an award from the National Emergency Number Association. He is a student at the Pittsgrove Township Middle School.

CITIZEN HEROES:

Ray Canfield, 61, of Hammonton (Atlantic County) Ray was nominated by Margate Police Lt. Peter Crook. Mr. Crook's daughter, Adrienne, was operating a car that was struck by an intoxicated hit and run driver. Mr. Canfield came across debris in the road and spotted Adrienne's car. He dialed 9-1-1 from his cell phone as he approached the vehicle. Adrienne and her passengers were trapped in a mangled car. When Ray heard her cries for help, he advised the 9-1-1 Public Safety Telecommunicator that there were victims who would require medical assistance. As the car burst into flames, Ray yelled, "Send everything you got" and ran to the car to assist. All were trapped in the car and only Adrienne was conscious. Ray extricated her from the tangled mass through the rear window. Then together, they worked to rescue the other unconscious passengers. As other motorists stopped at the sight of the flames, they stood by, telling Ray and Adrienne to get away from the car. Ray and Adrienne did not heed the warnings, and with the assistance of State Trooper Rob Bauers and passerby Kamal Johnson, all of the victims were removed from the wreck and survived. The Wireless Foundation honored Ray with a VITA Wireless Samaritan Award for his heroic actions. Ray currently works for Red Lobster Restaurant in Mays Landing.

Adrienne Crook, 24, of Mays Landing (Atlantic County) Adrienne was nominated for the Citizen Hero award by the Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services. After being pulled out of a mangled car, she placed friendship above self and returned to the burning car to help rescue her two friends, Michael Della Veccia and David Castree.

State Trooper Rob Bauers, 34, of Hammonton (Atlantic County) Rob was nominated for the Hero Award by the Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services. Rob arrived on the scene and used a crow bar to force the door open to rescue the trapped passenger in the front seat of Ms. Crook's car. Despite burning his hand, Rob cut through a passenger's seatbelt. His quick-thinking actions enabled he and Kamal Johnson to pull the passenger free from the burning car before it was engulfed in flames.

Kamal Johnson, 26, of Atlantic City (Atlantic County) Kamal was nominated for the Citizen Hero award by the Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services. Placing his own personal safety aside, Kamal did not hesitate to stop his car and jump into the fray to assist in the rescue of Adrienne's two passengers.

TELECOMMUNICATOR

*Hunterton County 9-1-1 Communications Center (Hunterdon County) The center was nominated by the Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services for its excellent record of success of fostering teamwork in the daily life of the Hunterdon County 9-1-1 operators. On Sunday, September 15, the team work ethic moved from inside the communications center to the front door. As shifts were changing, a man knocked on the front door of the center. The man explained that his friend Vanessa Spears was in his car experiencing respiratory distress and was unconscious. The Hunterdon County team went into action.

*Hunterdon Operators:

Senior Operator Art Stier, 55, of Bucks County, PA, assessed the situation and coordinated a quick response. Art has worked at the center for 27 years.

9-1-1 Operators Jason Slaughter, 25, of Readington Twp., (Hunterdon County) and Bill Powell, 30, of Kingswood Twp., (Hunterdon County) left their posts to start administering CPR and applied the Automated External Defibulator. Jason and Bill each have five years of service with the center.

As operators Slaughter and Powell worked to restore the victim's pulse and respiratory function, they were joined by Operator Frank Veneziale, 31, of East Amwell Twp., (Hunterdon County) who had just completed the midnight shift. Frank has six years of service with the center.

Inside the Communications Center, Operators Gretchen Umgelter, 23, of Flemington Boro, (Hunterdon County) and Stefanie Kenney, 21, of Holland Twp., (Hunterdon County) picked up the extra positions vacated by those who were involved with the rescue efforts outside. They dispatched police units and the appropriate Basic and Advanced emergency medical response units. Gretchen has five years of service with the center while Stefanie has served two years.

TELECOMMUNICATOR

(Division of State Police nominations)

Scott Szymczak, 32, of North Brunswick (Middlesex County) A panicked husband, Eric Meyerowitz of Millburn was driving on the Parkway en route to the hospital when his expectant wife went into labor. Scott used his training and gave emergency childbirth instructions to the husband for a successful delivery of a baby. Scott is a three-year veteran of the State Police Operational Dispatch Bureau and is assigned to the Parkway. Prior to his service with the NJSP, he worked as a 9-1-1 Dispatcher for the Edison Twp. Emergency Dispatch. He is also an Auxiliary Police Officer with the Edison Twp. Auxiliary Police.

Debra Cuomo, 52, of Hawthorne (Passaic County) Debra received a 9-1-1 call from an expectant father who was on Jones Road in Fort Lee en route to the hospital with his expectant wife. Debra transferred the call to the Fort Lee Police Department, but recognized the need to remain on the line with the distraught husband and wife. Debra provided emergency childbirth instructions to the husband and kept the father calm as he delivered the baby. Debra is a three-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police, Operational Dispatch Bureau and is assigned to the Operational Dispatch Unit-North. Prior to her service with the NJSP, she worked as a telecommunicator for the Teaneck, NJ Police, and as a Radio Telephone Operator for the Maui County, Hawaii police.

Gary Jenkins, 45, of Westampton (Burlington County) Gary received an emergency 9-1-1 call from an excited, expectant father en route to the hospital. The husband stopped on Route 130 in South Brunswick because his wife was about to give birth. Gary instructed the husband on emergency childbirth instructions telling him to make sure the baby was breathing and not to cut the umbilical cord. Gary is a two-year veteran with the NJSP and is a volunteer emergency medical technician for Westampton Emergency Medical Service.

TELECOMMUNICATOR

(Warren County)

Michael C. DeCarolis, 24, of Frelinghuysen Twp. (Warren County) was nominated for the award by Bryan E. Burke, Emergency Management Coordinator for the Warren County Department of Public Safety, Washington. Michael received a 9-1-1 call from a 9-year-old girl who reported an unidentified, male assailant in her house. Michael stayed on the phone calming and reassuring the girl for about 20 minutes until police arrived on location and entered the house. Michael started his Public Safety Telecommunicator career as a trainee at the Warren County Communications Center in 1998. He was soon promoted to Senior Public Safety Telecommunicator where he was responsible for supervising a shift during the absence of the supervising telecommunicator and later promoted to the position of Supervising Telecommunicator, which he currently holds.