Raleigh, N.C. — A technician with the Raleigh-Wake Emergency Communications Center has received national recognition for his work.

Craig Schulz, technical services supervisor for the Raleigh-Wake ECC, was named Technician of the Year by the E9-1-1 Institute. The award recognizes 911 center technology-support staff who maintain the technology systems necessary to take emergency calls.

"Mr. Schluz is an outstanding asset to the City of Raleigh," Raleigh-Wake ECC Director Barry Furey said in a release Thursday. "He is truly deserving of this prestigious award.”

Schulz has worked for Raleigh-Wake ECC for 14 years as a dispatcher and rescue squad member, in addition to acting a technical services supervisor for the past seven years.

He oversees a department that runs 63 servers, 477 devices and three secondary centers that support the work of more than 1,000 users, including dispatchers EMS workers and law enforcement officers.

"I'm responsible for anything that has a power cord on it," Schulz described his job.

He has seen important upgrades to police radios, traffic cameras, dispatch systems and training modules, among other projects, Furey said.

“Through his leadership, the emergency communications IT team and the communications-electronics maintenance shop have made great strides toward enhancing the reliability and affordability of a wide variety of technology," Furey said.