H.R. No. 2368 R E S O L U T I O N WHEREAS, In recognition of her expert response to a difficult 9-1-1 call, LaKesha Hammonds of the Memorial Villages Police Department has been named a 2011 Telecommunicator of the Year by the Commission on State Emergency Communications; and WHEREAS, The CSEC annually honors a select set of professionals for their exemplary handling of a specific emergency call; and WHEREAS, On October 1, 2010, Ms. Hammonds took a call from a mother in distress, who said that her 13-year-old daughter had run away; Ms. Hammonds dispatched officers to talk to the mother, who said her daughter had not been at school when she went to pick her up that afternoon; and WHEREAS, Through a series of subsequent calls with the mother and several of the girl's friends, Ms. Hammonds learned that the girl had talked about running away on a social networking site; Ms. Hammonds also learned that the girl had a cell phone with her, and she immediately asked the wireless provider to help locate the phone; and WHEREAS, The girl was eventually discovered with an adult companion near the Mexican border; the two were stopped by the U.S. Border Patrol and taken into custody by the Del Rio Police Department, and the girl was promptly returned to her grateful mother; and WHEREAS, Through her sound judgment, quick thinking, and persistence, LaKesha Hammonds helped ensure a positive conclusion to a potentially devastating situation, and she is indeed deserving of this prestigious honor; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby congratulate LaKesha Hammonds on her receipt of a 2011 Telecommunicator of the Year award from the Commission on State Emergency Communications and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued success with her important work; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Ms. Hammonds as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Woolley ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 2368 was adopted by the House on May 30, 2011, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House