ROBERTSDALE — The Alabama 911 Conference named Baldwin County 911 the 2026 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) of the Year on May 7 during a statewide meeting in Huntsville.

The award, which had not been presented to any agency in the past three years, recognizes the department's excellence in emergency communications, GIS maintenance and certification compliance.

"This recognition reflects the dedication, professionalism and commitment demonstrated every single day by the men and women of our agency," said the agency's director, Kristi Stamnes. "From dispatchers and supervisors to GIS, training, administration and support staff, this award belongs to every member of our Baldwin County 911 family".

The center, located in Robertsdale, serves as the primary headquarters for all 911 calls in the county. They currently employ around 60 people, including approximately 45 dispatchers. While municipal police calls are usually transferred to city departments, the center dispatches directly to area agencies for all fire and medical emergencies, as well as police responses for Elberta, Silverhill and Summerdale.

Deputy Director Kathryn Byrd, who began her career as a dispatcher nearly 24 years ago, said the honor is especially meaningful given the unique emotional and physical demands the staff consistently face.

"We're proud because our dispatchers work hard every day to make sure that the responders and the citizens are taken care of," Byrd said. "They go above and beyond... This team here that we have is a great group of people."

Byrd noted that there are dispatchers working 24/7, 365 days a year. Many often miss holidays and birthdays to manage an increasing call volume driven by the county's rapid growth and tourism.

Moving forward, agency leaders say the award sets a new benchmark and standard for performance as their staff continues to grow and they find ways to meet the community's needs.

"We are extremely proud of our people and everything they've accomplished," Stamnes, the director, said. "The citizens should be proud of what their center is doing and offering, too."