PARIS, Tennessee — Henry County 911 dispatcher Britni Cunningham received the first George “Mike” Shankle Life-Saving Award after local reporting said she trusted her instincts and sent a deputy to check on an elderly woman who needed help.

Radio NWTN reported that Cunningham was recognized during a Henry County 911 board meeting and retirement reception for longtime 911 Director Mark Archer. The same meeting also named Cunningham and Kayla Arnold co-winners of the Dispatcher of the Year Award.

‘Something was not right’

According to the report, Cunningham received the new life-saving award for “acting on instinct” and sending a deputy to a home because she knew “something was not right.”

Radio NWTN reported that the woman had been living on apple juice and water for 10 days. The article did not publish additional medical details, and ThinBlueNews is not adding private details beyond the public report.

Diane Shankle, who had served as a dispatcher and supervisor, and Shankle’s stepson Kenny Rhodes were on hand for the presentation, according to the report.

A reminder that dispatch is the first first response

The story was also framed around Archer’s retirement after more than 30 years in the field. Radio NWTN reported that Henry County Mayor Randy Geiger presented Archer with the county’s Loyal Patriot Award.

“Dispatchers serve as the ‘first’ first responders, providing critical assistance before emergency personnel arrive on scene,” Archer said, according to the report.

For Support Law Enforcement readers, Cunningham’s recognition is a concrete example of the life-saving work that can happen before patrol, fire or EMS ever reaches the door: listening closely, noticing that a call does not feel right and getting help moving.

Sources reviewed

Editorial note: ThinBlueNews used source-reported facts and a real source photo with attribution. The article minimizes private medical details and does not use AI-generated rescue or dispatch imagery.