On January 4th, 2022 a team of 9 dispatchers from Northeast Ohio, under the umbrella of Chagrin Valley Dispatch prepared to leave Cleveland Hopkins International airport to travel to the U.S. Virgin Island for the work experience of a lifetime. These Dispatchers included: Matt Reinke, Vanessa Headley, and Jackie Chappuies from Chagrin Valley Dispatch – Bedford; Danielle Short from Chagrin Valley Dispatch – Brecksville; Anna Calabrese, Tom Downs, and Jayme Kacica from Chagrin Valley Dispatch – Cleveland Heights; and Erin Iorillo and Christine Eddy from Southwest Emergency Dispatch. Our 10th team member, Becky Naymik from Southwest Emergency Dispatch met us in St Croix on January 5th.

This trip would consist of two teams of 5 working in the two 911 Emergency Communications centers in the U.S. Virgin Islands; St. Thomas and St. Croix.