To be held April 16, 2026, at the County of Simcoe Administration Centre
Midhurst/April 13, 2026 – On April 16th, the Simcoe County Tri-Service Public Safety Awards Ceremony will mark its 15th year of recognizing and celebrating the dedication of our region’s public safety communicators. This annual event honours the call-takers, dispatchers, supervisors, and support staff whose actions and expertise make an immeasurable impact every day. This year, the ceremony will also recognize two young 9-1-1 callers whose actions saved lives and helped emergency services have critical information at the moment it was needed.
Public safety communicators are often the calm voice during someone’s most difficult moment, ensuring critical information is relayed quickly and accurately to emergency personnel. Their skill, compassion, and steady leadership form a vital link in our emergency response network, helping protect lives across our communities.
“Public safety communicators are the heroes who are on the other end of the line when a person calls 9-1-1, ensuring that help is within reach,” said Warden Basil Clarke. “As we celebrate the 15th year of this ceremony, we are proud to recognize their exceptional efforts and grateful for the work they do each day to keep our communities safe.”
| EVENT: | 15th Annual Simcoe County 9-1-1 Management Board Public Safety Communications Awards |
| Date | Thursday, April 16, 2026 |
| Time | 10:00 a.m. |
| Location | County of Simcoe Administration Centre – Atrium1110 Highway 26, Midhurst, Ontario |
| RSVP | Media are asked to reply to communications@simcoe.ca to confirm attendance. |
Award Recipient Stories
Denise Horn, a communicator with the Orillia Fire Department, is the recipient of the Communicator of the Year for Public Safety Communications Award. Ms. Horn began her career in Communications with the old City of Orillia Police Force before joining Orillia Fire. Denise consistently shows prime decision-making abilities with complex situations and required next steps, often thinking ahead and asking the right questions. Working during the 2025 ice storm, she was constantly tested with having to make split second decisions and performed flawlessly. As Orillia Fire’s most senior Communicator, Denise brings three decades of experience to work every day. She provides solutions to problems and regularly sends ideas to improve service. She assists Captains with their incident reports and reviews them for consistency and accuracy. Denise is calm and clear on the phone or the radio, no matter what the severity of the incident is or how many incidents she is handling.
Melissa Soule, an invaluable member of the emergency services team from Midland Fire Services, is the recipient of the Support Staff for Public Safety Communications Award. Melissa demonstrates sustained excellence over time, not just during isolated events. She maintains professionalism under pressure, particularly during high-stress or time-sensitive situations and is trusted by both leadership and staff to manage confidential and critical information appropriately. Her exceptional attention to detail, accountability, and dedication reflect the core values and professionalism expected of emergency services support staff. Melissa’s contributions highlight the essential, often unseen role that support staff play in ensuring operational success and organizational resilience within emergency services.
The Simcoe County Public Safety Communications Team Award will be presented to Barrie Fire communicators Tracey Hyder, Ashlee Hebner, Benoit Osborne, Kirsten Heard, and Amanda Balch for their actions during a severe winter storm which created dangerous travel conditions across the County of Simcoe, leaving more than 200 motorists stranded on roadways in Springwater. During the height of this incident, the Communications Centre experienced a CAD system outage, requiring the team to immediately transition to a fully manual, paper-based operation. Despite these constraints, call-takers, dispatchers, and supervisors worked seamlessly together to manage a fast-moving, high-risk situation. The team coordinated responses for stranded motorists, supported fire operations on severely congested roadways, and maintained situational awareness without the benefit of automated tools. Workflows were adapted in real time, information was tracked manually, and resources were deployed efficiently under significant operational pressure. The professionalism, patience, and adaptability demonstrated by the communications team were recognized by responding fire leadership, who noted the team’s calm coordination and exceptional performance during an already chaotic incident. This response highlighted the team’s ability to collaborate, innovate, and maintain service continuity during system failures – ensuring public safety when conditions were at their worst. This incident exemplifies outstanding teamwork, creativity, and dedication in the face of operational adversity.
2026 Youth Awards
Charlotte and Hannah were nominated by Wasaga Beach Fire and Georgian CACC, respectively, and will be recognized as the 2026 Youth Awards.
Charlotte: On the afternoon of July 4, 2025, eight-year-old Charlotte Bieniek demonstrated extraordinary courage and composure during a life-threatening emergency on the Nottawasaga River. While paddleboarding with her mother, Charlotte noticed she had stopped paddling and was struggling to respond. Recognizing the danger, Charlotte tied her board to her mother’s, crossed over to stabilize her, and paddled against the current for approximately 500 meters to reach the boat slip at her grandparents’ house. Once ashore, Charlotte pulled the board up as far as she could, climbed the bank, and called for help. When her mother lost consciousness and fell over, Charlotte returned to the water, placed her in the recovery position, secured the board, and ran to alert her grandparents. 911 was called, and while paramedics and firefighters responded, Charlotte retrieved critical medical information, including transplant history and medications. This enabled first responders and hospital staff to act quickly and effectively, which was crucial in delivering appropriate care. Charlotte’s calm, logical actions – securing her mother, paddling to safety, calling for help, and providing essential medical details – undoubtedly saved her mother’s life. Her level of skill and bravery would be impressive for an adult, let alone an eight-year-old child.
Hannah: Upon answering 9‑1‑1 call, a young female voice responded. After verifying the address, the caller identified herself as a young teenager. She reported that a vehicle had pulled into her driveway and the driver knocked on her door asking her to call an ambulance, stating his mother was having a heart attack, while second adult could be heard in the background. Despite her age and the chaotic circumstances, the caller remained calm, answered all questions clearly, and followed instructions. Georgian CACC remained on the line to provide Pre‑Arrival Instructions due to the caller being a child with the presence of a highly distressed adult. Hannah proceeded to demonstrate exceptional composure, accurately relaying instructions to the adult on scene and assisting with life‑saving measures until EMS arrived. Hannah’s ability to remain calm, focused, and effective during an event no child should ever have to experience was extraordinary. Her bravery, maturity, and ability to follow and relay critical instructions were instrumental in the care provided prior to EMS arrival. Her response exemplifies courage, resilience, and the very best outcome of effective emergency communication.
About the County of Simcoe
County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.
