Friday night, about 12:10 a.m., my little Honda was 17 (that means 'en-route' in Po-Po language) heading North to the CMPD headquarters downtown with a special midnight 'Operation Cream Puff' delivery for the Communications Department -- home of Charlotte's unsung heroes -- the 911 call-takers and dispatchers. Word of my little cream puffs has gotten around this past year, and this is my third delivery to the Communications Department. Here you'll find the hard-working 'behind the scenes' men and women who work tirelessly around the clock 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to answer approximately 68,000 calls a MONTH! They are so many times the lifeline to not only the public, but to the officer as well. They make a positive difference to everyone who hears their voice.
They handle both emergency and non-emergency calls and must quickly assess the situation and accurately process the call.
- crimes that are in progress or about to happen
- crimes that have resulted in serious personal injury, property damage, or property loss
- situations in which the suspect may still be at the scene
- some suspicious activities
* For more information, click here.
They are all so sweet to me when I come, but I didn't hang around long Friday night like I have in the past. It was after midnight and the Queen City was hopping -- they had work to do!
The next time you need police, fire, or medic, remember.....your call starts with these hard-working professionals. Please let them know how much you appreciate them!
This isn't a picture of my 911 call center, but it is very similar. Day and night, there are no bright lights.
Maybe to create some calm in what can otherwise be a very stressful atmosphere.
♥
