East Haven Dispatcher Finalist for National Award

When Ray Kline isn't dispatching emergency calls for the , he's serving as the captain of its Volunteer Company 1.

And those many years of first responder experiences served Kline well during an emergency dispatching situation last September that in the backwoods of Maine.

In fact, Kline's effort that day last fall spurred the lifetime East Haven resident's selection as one of the 20 national finalists for the 2012 Smart Telecommunicator Awards.

The award, sponsored by Rave Mobility Safety software company, serves to recognize emergency dispatchers for "their leadership, performance, compassion for callers, ability to inspire co-workers and overall contributions," according to the company's website.

Maine Rescue

Each of the national finalists were nominated by one of their peers and/or co-workers as deserving for the award.

In Kline's case, it was an incident early last fall that led to his recognition.

From East Haven, Kline f that assisted in the rescue of two canoeists — the sons of local resident Erick Stolzman — on Sept. 28, 2011.

East Haven Fire Commissioners and Mayor Joseph Maturo awarded Kline a commendation on Jan. 30 for going "above and beyond" the regular scope of his duties to aid the two canoeists.

And it was this successful, extraordinary effort that forms the basis of Kline's nomination for the 2012 award.

Online Voting

But now, Kline needs the community's effort to help him come out on top as this year's winner.

The finalist with the most votes in an online poll for their nomination story will win. The voting opened on Monday and will end at the conclusion of the day Friday.

The national winner will be announced at a ceremony during National Telecommunicators Week (April 8-14). A donation of $1,000 will be made to the charity of the winner’s choice.

In addition, four regional honorees — Northeast, Southeast, Central U.S. and West Coast — will also receive awards, along with a $500 donation to the charities of their choosing.