BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY AWARD
is presented for outstanding dedication and effort for the month of March 2013 to
Robyn DeFranzo
Robyn DeFranzo has been a dedicated and hard working member of the Somerville Police Department as an E-911 Operator for the last 16 years. Anyone who has worked in Dispatch understands that compassion and the ability to work under stress are both critical factors. Probably nothing better supports this contention then the actions of Ms. DeFranzo on the morning of February 5th, 2013 when Ms. DeFranzo received a call from an eight year old boy stating that he couldn’t wake his mom up and thought she had died. As the call was being transferred for medical dispatch, Robyn continued to monitor the call while simultaneously seeking to locate any nearby police units to respond and bring comfort to this little boy. During this time, Robyn kept the very young and scared boy calm, giving him direction to facilitate the emergency response and bringing compassion to a very unfortunate situation. This was a heart-wrenching incident which certainly struck an emotional chord with everyone involved. The display of compassion and kindness under the most stressful situations exemplifies the professionalism of Ms. DeFranzo and our 911 dispatchers. The actions taken by Ms. DeFranzo were beyond the call of duty and merit this special recognition.
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Thomas Pasquarello, Chief of Police
