LOUDOUN COUNTY, Virginia — Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Dispatcher Jonathan Marsceau has been named the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association’s 2026 Dispatcher of the Year, with the association pointing to his calm work during emergency calls, radio operations and crisis-response situations.

The Virginia Sheriffs’ Association announced the award in its 2026 annual awards summary, saying Marsceau joined the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in November 2023 and has become a trusted member of the Emergency Communications Center.

CPR coaching and critical-call response

According to the association, Marsceau was the call-taker on Dec. 15, 2024, for a medical emergency involving a patient in cardiac arrest. VSA said he quickly gathered essential information, started a law enforcement, fire and EMS response, and delivered calm CPR coaching to a distressed caller until first responders arrived.

The association also cited an August 2025 critical incident involving a seriously injured Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office motorcycle unit. VSA said Marsceau served as the primary radio dispatcher, recognized the severity of the incident and helped ensure a timely response from law enforcement, fire and EMS resources.

Recognition for professionalism behind the radio

VSA described Marsceau as professional, technically skilled and dedicated to responder and community safety, noting his work from call receipt through resolution and his ability to remain composed during high-priority incidents.

The association said Marsceau is Crisis Intervention Team certified and uses de-escalation techniques with highly emotional or volatile callers, helping gather information and keep callers engaged until help arrives.

Marsceau also trained as a Communications Training Officer, a role in which VSA said he helps guide new dispatchers in call-taking, radio operations and decision-making.

“These awards remind us that public safety is built on people who consistently show up for others, often without recognition and often under difficult circumstances,” VSA Executive Director John W. Jones said in the announcement.

For public-safety supporters, the recognition is a reminder that life-saving law-enforcement work does not always begin at the scene. Sometimes it starts with the dispatcher who keeps a caller focused, moves responders into place and manages the radio when seconds matter.

Sources reviewed

Editorial note: ThinBlueNews used source-reported facts and a real association source photo with attribution. Patient and crisis-call details are limited to what the association publicly released; no AI-generated emergency scene was used.