Vail Public Safety Communications Center Wins Multiple Awards  

The Vail Public Safety Communications Center (VPSCC) was recognized by the Colorado Chapter of the National Emergency Number Association and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (NENA/APCO) with three separate awards: Walt Hardesty Servant’s Heart Award, Team of the Year and Director of the Year.   

Dispatch Supervisor Bonnie Collard received the Servant’s Heart award due to her exemplary dedication to the VPSCC. Her innate, selfless desire to help her fellow supervisors, her direct reports, and ultimately the residents and guests of Eagle County set her apart from her peers. 

The NENA/APCO Team of the Year recognition was awarded to dispatch supervisors Zak Sheets and Becky Pacheco, dispatchers Keturah Wilkinson, Brittany Zink and Alex Pollinger, and dispatch trainees Troy Larson and Yesenia Ramirez for their response during a complex, multi-hazard and multi-jurisdictional incident involving a motor vehicle accident that became a quickly moving fire threatening a power line, railroad equipment and Interstate 70. Over the course of the call, this dispatch team fielded hundreds of 911 calls from motorists on I-70 while coordinating the response from 10 different agencies, totaling 21 units from seven different fire departments, 14 officers from three separate law enforcement agencies and four medics from the ambulance district. 

VPSCC Director Marc Wentworth received the NENA/APCO Director of the Year award for his tireless advocacy for the center and all who work there. He not only oversees and manages the center but also often works alongside the line dispatchers both when understaffed and during situations when the center becomes inundated with calls during large events. 

Community Celebrates Marka Moser as the 2023 Trailblazer Award Winner

A tireless advocate for the children of Vail and supporter of local non-profits, Marka Moser was selected as the 2023 Vail Trailblazer Award recipient presented by the Vail Town Council. Moser embodied the Vail pioneer spirit of seeing a need and jumping in to find a solution, no matter how big or small the issue. A quiet but steadfast force behind the scenes of many local initiatives, her impacts have been felt through generations of Vail community members. 

Long Time Police Chief Dwight Henninger Retires 

After 21 years of service, Police Chief Dwight Henninger announced his retirement from the Vail Police Department in March 2023.  During his tenure, Chief Henninger received countless awards and recognition, and was lauded for running a well-respected agency by both residents and by police professionals from around the world. “I am particularly proud of the exceptional Vail Police employees I have had the pleasure of leading, of the work building trust with the Eagle County Law Enforcement Immigrant Alliance and of the emergency management work to build the capacity of Vail and the Northwest Region to respond to critical incidents,” said Henninger.  

Vail Police Commander Ryan Kenney Takes Helm as Chief 

Six-year police department veteran Ryan Kenney was selected as the Town of Vail’s tenth Chief of Police, following the retirement of Dwight Henninger. Chief Kenney previously served for 23 years with the Boca Raton, Florida, Police Department. During his tenure as a commander in Vail, he was credited with spearheading several highly impactful projects, including the Co-Responder Team, which brings together a community paramedic, Hope Center clinician and police officer or deputy sheriff to handle behavioral health crisis incidents, resulting in significantly better services to those in need and reducing emergency room visits in Eagle County. Chief Kenney also led the successful planning and implementation of the town’s E-Vail Courier Loading and Delivery program in Vail Village, which has removed delivery trucks from the Village core. 

 

St. Anton and Yamanouchi Machi Delegations Visit Vail  

Vail welcomed a delegation from its newest sister resort, St. Anton, Austria in June, which included a visit to the GoPro Mountain Games.  A delegation from Yamanouchi Machi, Japan, Vail’s sister resort since 2017, visited Vail in October, and included a visit to the Mountain Towns 2030 conference. Both delegations took tours of key facilities and attractions, and attended meetings with local leaders to share best practices. The visits resulted in the identification of areas of alignment and opportunities for future cooperation and collaboration. 

Eagle County Public Safety Council and Eagle County Emergency Responders Fund 

Voters returned the only running incumbent and elected a previous mayor and two new faces to fill four openings on the Vail Town Council during the Municipal Election in November, which included 10 candidates. Incumbent Jonathan Staufer, previous council member Dave Chapin, and newcomers Reid Phillips and Sam Biszantz joined Travis Coggin, Barry Davis and Pete Seibert on the council. Coggin and Davis were chosen by their colleagues to serve as mayor and mayor pro tem, respectively, for the next two years. Vail had one of its highest voter turnouts for the candidate election at 49.85%. 

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2023 Annual Report: Commitment to Community