Three city of Pearl Dispatchers were honored at the City Council Meeting on November 6th for their patience and persistence in managing emergency situations in a calm and professional manner. Brandy Pepper, Orlando Redd and Heather Rose Vaughn are City of Pearl Dispatchers that work under the Police Department, but are also responsible for various types of notifications city wide. Dispatchers handle many situations ranging from police, fire, monitoring of local weather alerts, setting off tornado sirens, notifying Department of Transportation officials of road problems, communicating with utility companies for services of gas, water and electricity, monitoring communications of police and fire to ensure safety and calming out of control callers. They work behind the scenes never showing a face but always providing help and a calm voice.
On September 26th these 3 Dispatchers were on duty and took nearly 1000 calls for service in less than 5 hours time. The heavens opened up and the flood waters rose at a rapid speed and all the while these dispatchers kept up with calls and prioritized them while making sure that all first responders were accounted for. They are to be commended for their dedication and skill in managing the many emergencies that occur, not just that day but every day.
The Pearl Chamber of Commerce presented each dispatcher with a $50 Walmart Gift Card, a Fit Bit and an umbrella. Revell Hardware donated stainless steel tumblers, McAlister’s Deli donated a complimentary meal and Great American Cookie Company gave each one of them a chocolate chip cookie cake.