'911, what's your emergency': Alabama 911 operators help Hurricane Helene victims

BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE HURRICANE, RESCUE EFFORTS, HAVE REALLY BECOME AN ALL HANDS ON DECK PROJECT. WVTM 13 S BRYCE OSELEN SPOKE WITH A LOCAL CALL CENTER ON THE ROLE THEY’RE PLAYING TO HELP. TELECOMMUNICATORS ARE ANSWERING THE CALL TO HELP VICTIMS OF HURRICANE HELENE. LOCAL DISPATCHERS SAY THEY’RE NEVER TOO BUSY TO PICK UP THE PHONE. WE’RE THE FIRST FIRST RESPONDER. EVERY DAY WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE’S LIFE. 911 WHERE’S YOUR EMERGENCY? ALABAMA’S TELECOMMUNICATOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE TASK FORCE SENT DISPATCHERS FROM SHELBY COUNTY, HOOVER AND MADISON TO SUPPORT RELIEF EFFORTS OF HURRICANE HELENE. WHETHER IT BE SOMETHING TO WHERE YOUR GRANDMOTHER IS SICK AND YOU NEED HELP OR YOU’RE IN A MAJOR CAR ACCIDENT OR IF IT’S SOMETHING SMALL. SUPERVISOR BETHANY MIMS SAYS MANY ARE CALLED, BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN. IT’S AN AMAZING THING THAT THEY’RE ALL DOING A LOT OF THEM HAVE FAMILIES, CHILDREN, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT THEY’RE LEAVING BEHIND TO GO OUT OF STATE, TO GO TO ANOTHER STATE TO ASSIST OTHER PEOPLE. SO THAT WAY THOSE FIRST RESPONDERS CAN GET THE BREAKS THAT THEY NEED AND THE TIME THAT THEY NEED. WE GOT A REQUEST FROM NORTH CAROLINA TO SEND DISPATCHERS FROM THE STATE OF ALABAMA, AND FOLKS FROM OUR TEAM VOLUNTEERED TO TO JOIN A TEAM OF TURTLE COMMUNICATORS FROM MADISON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE. AND WE WENT TO GO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. THE DISPATCHERS WILL WORK IN NORTH CAROLINA FOR TWO WEEKS. MIMS SAYS. YOU CAN’T PUT A PRICE ON A JOB WELL DONE. TO BE ABLE TO SEE ALL OF MY PEOPLE BE ABLE TO HANDLE THEMSELVES WITH DECOR AND THE WAY THAT THEY NEED TO, AND TO ALSO GET HELP TO ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE AND US LEAVE EVERY DAY AND EVERYBODY BE OKAY, IS THE BIGGEST REWARD IN THE WORLD TO ME. IN SHELBY COUNTY