Todd A. Austin of Burbank, California, an APCO member and emergency communications center manager for the Los Angeles Police Department Communications Division, passed away May 2. He was 52.

Austin worked for the LAPD ECC for 22 years and rose to the rank of senior police service representation officer in charge of operations support unit inside LAPD Communication Division. APCO Executive Director Derek K. Poarch said Austin was an active participant in the APCO International’s large ECC group.

“The consummate gentleman and professional, he was always willing to help in any way he could whether with his staff or with colleagues around the country and usually while wearing a smile,” Poarch wrote.

Austin’s first job in public safety communications was dispatching for an alarm company. At the LAPD  he received numerous awards and commendations and traveled to cities around the country as a presenter. Among his proudest achievements was his work with the changeover of the 9-1-1 system from the California Highway Patrol to the dispatch center for Los Angeles County.