West Central Reporter

Cheryl Miles knows how to handle stress.

As a telecommunicator specialist for the Illinois State Police (ISP), Miles has dealt with a load of pressure, from bomb threats to suicide calls. Her management of such situations recently earned Miles the ISP's Telecommunicator of the Year Award at a ceremony in Springfield.

In a press release, the ISP cited examples of Miles' work: 

Telecommunications specialist Cheryl Miles

"In May, 2015, the Pontiac Communications Center received a phone call from a subject threatening to set off bombs in the Ashkum and Gilman area.  Ms. Miles was an integral part of the team that handled this situation.  She managed all of the radio and telephone traffic for all four districts within the Pontiac Communications Center for over an hour.  This effort allowed the other Telecommunicators to focus on identifying and tracing the caller."

The release also said Miles helped locate a caller who was threatening suicide, using social media to ensure the caller was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Other award recipients included Special Agent William Blackburn, who was recognized as Officer the Year, and forensic scientist Mary Beth Thomas, who earned Forensic Scientist of the Year honors.