Vail dispatcher Almanza earns prestigious IACP 40 under 40 award

Vail Public Safety Communications Center Dispatcher Fernando Almanza, featured in the Vail Daily and on RealVail.com last year, has been selected as one of the International Association of Chiefs of Police prestigious “40 under 40” awards. Here’s the full press release from the Town of Vail:

Note: Chief Henninger and the entire staff of the Vail Public Safety Communications Center and Vail Police Department are extremely honored to work with Fernando. He is an inspiration to each of us and we look forward to seeing his future accomplishments. We congratulate his recognition as an IACP 40 under 40 award winner!

Vail Public Safety Communications Center Dispatcher Fernando Almanza has been selected as one of the International Association of Chiefs of Police prestigious “40 under 40” awards. The award will be presented to Almanza during the IACP’s virtual international conference in October.

The annual IACP 40 Under 40 award recognizes 40 law enforcement professionals under the age of 40 from around the world who demonstrate leadership, exemplify commitment to their profession and have a positive impact on their communities.

These extraordinary individuals are motivated to lead their agencies into the future, and they encourage their colleagues to grow professionally and personally, striving daily to provide best-of-class services that lead to a safer, more inclusive and more peaceful world. Regardless of role, rank or agency, these professionals have dedicated their efforts to raising the bar for policing and they are role models for those they work with, as well as for the community members they serve.

Communications Center Director Marc Wentworth was compelled to nominate Almanza for the 40 under 40 award based on his dedication to duty and to the community they serve. “Fernando was the first bilingual dispatcher to Join the SWAT/SOU team, becoming a Level III Hostage Negotiator for Eagle County,” he said. “He also joined the Incident Dispatch Team in order to learn the ins and outs of their Mobile Communications Unit.” Almanza has since been deployed with the Mobile Communications Unit to a variety of incidents and used his Incident Dispatch Team experiences to help reduce stigma and fear during emergencies.

Vail Police Chief Dwight Henninger says Almanza exemplifies an impactful and thoughtful leader through his words, his actions and his beliefs. “He works selflessly and tirelessly to improve the law enforcement profession, the quality of life of our immigrant community, and has just recently joined Hearts Reign, an organization whose focus is to promote mental health in our non-English community,” said Henninger. “He has made an immeasurable impact over an exemplary career as a passionate advocate for the county’s extensive Spanish-speaking community.”

Almanza’s passion for change is rooted in his vision to bring the communications center, the police and the community together. After taking a 20-week course with Family Leadership Training Institute, Almanza created a project called “First Responders: Heroes in the Shadows,” an educational program about the process one goes through when experiencing an emergency and the importance of reporting it to the authorities. Since its inception he has taught over 1,100 people across multiple presentations. This project helped earn him the 2019 Colorado Dispatcher of the Year award and was profiled in the Police Executive Research Forum publication.

In addition to his duties as a 911 emergency dispatcher and his work with emergency response teams, Almanza is a certified Spanish translator, a member of the Mountain Youth Coalition, a board member of Communities that Care, a Special Olympics fundraiser, a volunteer of the Eagle County Crisis Hotline and an elected Eagle County School Board Member. To top off these activities, he works with the Bright Future Foundation’s Buddy/Mentor Program.

Wentworth added, “His story is even more impressive when you consider he came from humble beginnings. Originally from northern Mexico, Almanza crossed into New Mexico at the age of 11, fleeing a past of domestic violence in his own family. His will and determination to enrich the lives of others, particularly the vulnerable and underserved, inspire his co-workers and supervisors to work together for a cause greater than themselves and deliver lasting results.”

In Almanza’s words, “It has always been my passion to help people, especially those who believe they do not have a voice. I give special consideration to the LatinX community where English is the second language of 52% of Eagle County students. I entered into a law enforcement career in order to do the most good for them. In law enforcement, I can promote the equality of opportunity and advocate the values of a diverse community. Growing up in the valley for the last 17 years has given me the tools to understand what my community needs and has led me to find ways to give them exactly the support they require.”

“Early in my training,” Almanza continued, “a Hispanic family lost their head of household due to a fall from a building under construction. None of the workers at that location spoke English and were scared to call 911. By the time first responders arrived, it was too late to save his life. I keep that memory in the back of my head every time a community member needs help in a language other than English.  We need to all practice the language of compassion if we are to serve a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic population.”