NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and we're giving local dispatchers a special "thank you."
2020 until now, has been unusual for dispatchers, to say the least.
While some days have been slow because of the coronavirus keeping people indoors, middle Tennessee has seen tornadoes, protests, and most recently, flooding.
"I got home to work slept for an hour and then the tornado hit and they paged out they needed help so I went back in and worked numerous 16 hours day," said Wes Calhoun, a metro dispatcher for almost a decade.
Through every emergency and trauma, the voice you can count on belongs to our dispatchers.
"You cannot have dense skin and work here," said LaTasha Ashton, a metro dispatcher for 20 years. "You need to multitask and got to try and be able to comfort people."
It's a draining job, a job that never sleeps, but most of all, it's rewarding.
"It keeps us on our toes, said Heather Young, a dispatcher with Williamson County, "knowing I'm helping and making a difference."
Young says Williamson County is hiring 911 dispatchers. To apply, click here.
