What: UC Davis public safety dispatcher Maria Johnson will be awarded a Distinguished Service Commendation from the UC Davis Police Department for her work in tracing a caller threatening suicide. She is the first UC civilian employee to receive such an award. When: Tuesday, March 19, at 4 p.m. Where: UC Davis Police Department, Kleiber Hall Drive, UC Davis campus Visuals: Police Chief Calvin Handy will present the special award to Johnson with members of the Police Department present. Background: This past fall, Johnson received a call from a campus office manager who said that a faculty member was currently on the telephone with a former student who was in distress and threatening suicide. Tracing the call was exceedingly difficult because the commercial telecommunications companies could not identify which line the caller was using. "While the telephone trace was continuing, Johnson used creative ways to locate the individual," says Calvin Handy, UC Davis police chief. "Dispatcher Johnson was gathering critical information about the person from the office manager, who was exchanging hand-written notes with the faculty member. Johnson acted on information she developed herself and was able to locate the individual in San Jose." The San Jose Police Department was contacted and when they arrived at the person's apartment, the student was still on the phone with the faculty member. "This is a superb example of quick thinking, originality and sound decision-making," said the police chief, "in light of the fact that Johnson still managed 17 additional calls for service, from burglary alarms to disturbance calls." Parking From Highway 113, proceed east on Hutchison Drive to Kleiber and Directions: Hall Drive. Left on Kleiber Hall Drive to the Fire/Police Building. Media may park in the visitors parking area alongside the police department. Photographers and reporters may park there beyond the 15-minute time period if they leave a business card on the dashboard.