On February 19, 2025, RapidDeploy had the honor of recognizing four exceptional telecommunicators from the Minnesota State Patrol—Justin Armstrong, J.P. Lundell, Nick Selness, and Jordan Weidenhaft—with the RapidDeploy Superstar Award. This award celebrates their extraordinary dedication, quick thinking, and innovative use of RapidDeploy’s technology in executing a complex, life-saving cross-border rescue.
On September 30, 2024, a distressing 911 call came through from a man stranded on a small island near the U.S.-Canada border. Due to cell tower routing, his call was initially misrouted to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Canada. When the OPP attempted to transfer the call back to the Minnesota State Patrol, the transfer didn’t include any data or information—leaving responders without any location data.
“Ontario tried to transfer the caller a couple times, and it didn’t go through. So, then they just called us directly and they had a rough location based on latitude and longitude, but it was a pretty wide radius and there are several hundred islands in that area,” Jordan Weidenhaft, RCO, Minnesota State Patrol, recalled.
With time running out, the Minnesota State Patrol needed a way to pinpoint the caller’s exact location. That’s when they turned to RapidDeploy’s Radius Mapping technology.
The team quickly entered the stranded caller’s phone number into Radius Mapping. Instantly, the system populated his precise latitude and longitude coordinates—providing them with the exact location of the island where he was stranded. This allowed them to relay the details to local rescue teams, ensuring a swift response.
“At one point, we had to just get the phone number, call the guy back, start with the visuals. What do you see? Where’d you come from? You know? And then eventually we got to the point where RapidDeploy was 100% the best backup we could have had,” said Nick Selness, RCO, Minnesota State Patrol.
In a situation where every second mattered, the seamless integration of technology and the telecommunicators’ quick action directly led to saving a life.
During the award presentation, Todd Komanetsky, VP of Partnerships and Strategy at RapidDeploy, highlighted the significance of their efforts:
“Public safety is often defined by moments of incredible pressure—moments where training, technology, and instinct converge to save a life. Instead of waiting for information to trickle in, these telecommunicators took action. They used RapidDeploy’s Radius Mapping technology to get precise coordinates and ensure a successful rescue.”
While awards are not what drives these professionals, being recognized for their dedication to saving lives is deeply meaningful.
“Obviously, we’re not in an industry that, you know, gets awards. We’re here to change people’s lives for the better... If you can get a technology like RapidDeploy to get somebody help even seconds faster, minutes faster, especially in a spot where an ambulance isn’t coming very fast, that’s all the world to that person,” reflected Nick Selness, RCO, Minnesota State Patrol.
RapidDeploy’s mission is to help empower first responders with the tools they need to reduce response times and improve situational awareness. The Minnesota State Patrol’s story exemplifies how cloud-native solutions like Radius Mapping can transcend geographic barriers, eliminate delays in response, and ultimately save lives.
Steve Raucher, CEO and co-founder of RapidDeploy, echoed this sentiment in a statement:
“The dedication and ingenuity of the Minnesota State Patrol team in leveraging RapidDeploy’s technology to pinpoint this stranded caller is truly remarkable. Their swift actions exemplify the very reason we do what we do—empowering first responders with the tools they need to make a real difference in emergency situations.”
To truly capture the significance of this rescue, we’ve compiled a special video featuring the award recipients. Watch the video to hear their personal stories as they reflect on the call, the award, and what it means to be recognized for their work. You’ll also see highlights from the award ceremony and get a firsthand look at the lifesaving power of technology and teamwork.
At RapidDeploy, we believe every moment matters in an emergency, and the heroes behind the headset deserve to be celebrated for their lifesaving decisions. The Minnesota State Patrol team’s resourcefulness and commitment to public safety are exactly why we created the RapidDeploy Superstar Award—to honor those who go above and beyond to make a difference.
Know a telecommunicator who deserves recognition? Share your save stories with us and help us shine a light on the incredible professionals who keep our communities safe. Join us in congratulating Justin, J.P., Nick, and Jordan for their outstanding work!
