911 dispatcher enjoys doing something selfless
Crystal Keeler is a 911 call-taker/dispatcher, who would like to become a police officer.
“The hardest part is trying to find out where the caller is located. People don’t think about it when they call 911. They start to ramble because they’re so scared.
“The first thing out of my mouth is, ‘What is your location,’ and they usually just start telling me what’s going on. So I’ll say, ‘You’re not listening to me, mam. I don’t know where you are.’ Then they can get angry. Or they may say, ‘I’m at Walmart.’ I’ll ask which one, then they’ll say, ‘You know, the one next to Burger King.’ I’m like, ‘I still don’t know where you are. I need an address.’
“And sometimes the calls are kind of funny. Eighty percent of 911 calls are not emergencies. They’re accidentally dialing 911. They’ll say, ‘I’m sorry, I butt dialed.’ Or sometimes even a baby will call.
“It’s the satisfaction of helping someone that makes you want to do this job. I may never meet any of the people on the other end of that phone line, but I’m happy if I was able to help them. I tell people it’s an adrenaline rush to feel like you did something that was selfless, that it benefited somebody else, not yourself. And that feels good.”
— Crystal Keeler
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