Guess Who is Working on Christmas?
911 dispatchers have been putting up with me for 24 years now. They call me at 4:00 in the afternoon and they call at 4:00 in the morning too. I am currently serving as chaplain with and for an exceptionally good group of dispatchers that are employed by the Hood County Sheriff’s Office. They are great. “My” dispatchers recently received the “Agency of the Year” Award from the North Central Council of Governments regional 911 program. They could not have awarded a finer group. One of the deputies they serve with everyday composed a tribute to them. I will not divulge this person’s identity, but I will say that it sure is nice to have a guest blogger that expresses my sentiments better than I can.
A Tribute to 911 Dispatchers
It takes a special someone to do the job you do.
To answer hundreds of calls a year with “911, where is your emergency?”
To ask all the right questions in order to get the needed help to someone in distress
to patiently extract information from the kindergartner who calls and tearfully whispers, “My mommy won’t wake up”
To carry on three different conversations, on the phone, on the radio, and in person and keep them all straight.
To deal with the drunk at the drive-thru who call 911 because they put too much ketchup on his hamburger.
To take control, give directions and calm down the hysterical woman who accidentally shot her loving husband.
To take control, give directions and calm down the hysterical woman who intentionally shot her abusive husband.
To run DL #, LP #, warrant check, all systems check, without pulling out all of your hair in the process.
To work under enough pressure and stress that a CEO in the private sector under the same would earn a million dollar bonus.
To comfort, support and encourage each other when one of your own is killed in the line of duty.
You are that special someone!
You are my dispatchers and I thank God for you!
If it should happen that I leave this life before you, I will stand face to face with God and thank Him for making people like you.
I will then go stand by the golden gates and I will wait for you!
THANK YOU ALL! signed (A Deputy)
To answer hundreds of calls a year with “911, where is your emergency?”
To ask all the right questions in order to get the needed help to someone in distress
to patiently extract information from the kindergartner who calls and tearfully whispers, “My mommy won’t wake up”
To carry on three different conversations, on the phone, on the radio, and in person and keep them all straight.
To deal with the drunk at the drive-thru who call 911 because they put too much ketchup on his hamburger.
To take control, give directions and calm down the hysterical woman who accidentally shot her loving husband.
To take control, give directions and calm down the hysterical woman who intentionally shot her abusive husband.
To run DL #, LP #, warrant check, all systems check, without pulling out all of your hair in the process.
To work under enough pressure and stress that a CEO in the private sector under the same would earn a million dollar bonus.
To comfort, support and encourage each other when one of your own is killed in the line of duty.
You are that special someone!
You are my dispatchers and I thank God for you!
If it should happen that I leave this life before you, I will stand face to face with God and thank Him for making people like you.
I will then go stand by the golden gates and I will wait for you!
THANK YOU ALL! signed (A Deputy)