U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., presented the “Outstanding 911 Call Center Award” to Augusta-Richmond County 911 Emergency Services on Wednesday in recognition of the unit’s professionalism and dedication to public safety and emergency.

“I am proud to present Augusta-Richmond County 911 Emergency Services with this great honor and thank them for all the hard work they put in to making their call center one of the best in the nation,” said Isakson. “This important distinction recognizes the lifesaving difference they make to the community, and we are delighted to congratulate and thank the hardworking individuals who operate this Georgia center.”

“It was a team award, from the administrative staff to the staff that’s on the floor, answering 911 calls, dispatching emergency calls each and every day, 24/7, this is really a team effort,”Daniel R. Dunlap, the center’s director, told Gray TV at the presentation in Washington.

The Augusta-Richmond County 911 Emergency Services center was selected to receive this award by Next Generation 911 Institute, a nonprofit organization that works with Congress to promote the deployment of advanced and effective 911 and “next generation” 911 services throughout the nation.

“These award winners exemplify the highest levels of dedication and professionalism, and their contributions to public safety and emergency response are among the reasons why our nation’s 911 system is the finest in the world,” said Joe Marx, Next Generation 911 Institute chair.

This award commends a 911 call center for its overall excellence in serving the public, including the handling of emergency situations reported to 911 and the deployment and management of new technology. Augusta-Richmond County 911 Emergency Services was selected for the award because of its service to its community and its implementation of innovative 911 technologies.

Isakson presented the award in his Washington, D.C., office.

Those in attendance representing Augusta-Richmond County 911 Emergency Services included Dunlap, along with Bridgett Canteen, payroll clerk for Augusta-Richmond County, Tangela Gibson, professional standards coordinator for Augusta 911 Emergency Services, Belinda Bunch, quality assurance officer for Augusta 911 Emergency Services, and Keshia Leysath, communications officer for Richmond County.

Augusta-Richmond 911 Emergency Services’ mission is to provide optimum and efficient emergency call-taking and dispatching services to people in need. The center’s strategic goals and objectives statement reads, “No call shall go unanswered. No call for emergency assistance shall be denied a response. All calls shall be immediately dispatched or immediately routed to the appropriate agency.”

The 16th annual 911 Honor Awards ceremony was held on Wednesday evening in the Rayburn House Office Building by Next Generation 911 Institute to honor 911 heroes and leaders. The co-chairs of the Congressional Next Gen 911 Caucus are Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Reps. John Shimkus, R-Ill., and Anna Eshoo, D-Calif. Other members of Congress and federal government officials are expected to join 911 leaders from across the country at the event.