L to R: Duty Officers Cindy Morrison, Tim Proctor, and Mike Jones

From time to time things happen that verge on being catastrophic. Traffic stops can go bad, backing up another officer can be tense, and performing CPR on an injured person waiting for an ambulance can seem like an eternity. Our FHP members behind the scenes and on the street do a phenomenal job each and every day for the citizens and visitors in Florida - a perfect example of which happened on January 5th in Troop C.

When Trooper Brandon McElderry's first call for help came across the radio into the Tampa Bay Regional Communications Center, the words "Tampa I’ve been shot!" sent chills down everyone's spines. After all, these are the very words that we all pray to never hear. His call for help was followed by a good description of the suspect who was still at large. It was left to the duty officers responding to his call to make good things happen out of a bad situation that had the potential to become a worse one.

While Duty Officer Cindy Morrison listened to Trooper McElderry trying to decipher his exact location and capture the suspect's description, fellow Duty Officers Mike Jones and Tim Proctor sprang into action coordinating backup from FHP, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, as well as ensuring a rapid response from EMS. With the entire communications center pulling together as a team, Cindy, Tim, and Mike continued working in an exceptional manner until help finally arrived for our injured trooper. Their professionalism and the ability to stay focused on the task at hand got the job done.

On behalf of the men and women of Troop C, we wish to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone in the Tampa Bay Communications Center for making sure that we all get home safe each and everyday.