Department of Public Safety Communications

Published 6th March 2008, 12:0am

Newly-appointed 911 Assistant Manager Leslie 'Lennox' Vernon considers it an honour to serve his community by assisting residents during critical emergencies. He took up his post on 18 February but he is no stranger to 911, having risen through the ranks after launching his career as a junior telecommunicator ten years ago. Previously a supervisor with the unit, he said that he has had lots of preparation for the job, including learning much about the roles of his colleagues. "Working from the bottom up, I've had an opportunity to appreciate what it really takes to keep a unit of this importance functioning seamlessly." He added, "It's also particularly rewarding to know that I may have contributed to the survival of victims during emergencies, in however small a way." Mr Vernon's most memorable incident, occurred just five months after he had joined 911 and involved an explosion at Parrots Landing in George Town. That experience, he said, gave him real understanding into the demands and attention to detail required in his work. "This job requires serious commitment," he said. "Anyone thinking of working in this field should love helping people, but should also understand that personal time may have to be placed on the back burner at times." Humbled by the confidence his manager and colleagues have in him, he is thankful for and appreciative of the support they have given him over the years. His role as assistant manager will entail supervising staff; planning and organising training and development initiatives; managing the unit's daily operations, and coordinating emergency exercises and disaster planning. But Mr Vernon still hopes to find time to do something dear to his heart- play basketball. Though he hasn't been able to maintain membership with any local team, he tries to enjoy the occasional game with friends.