Tami is presently the longest standing 911 dispatcher at the Regional Dispatch Center, which is operated by the Sheriff’s Office. For 22 years, Tami has said, “911, what’s your emergency?” She has personally handled thousands upon thousands of calls and presently supervises all dispatchers, providing ongoing training and mentorship while advocating for their ongoing self-care and personal wellness.
“You can’t dwell on your worst day because there are so many that will take a small piece of your heart,” she said. “It is very important to me to make sure our dispatchers have the tools and resources available. Not taking the job home, learning to just take that 10 minutes before going into your house to just let it all go.”
Tami and fellow dispatchers handle not only the most critical of 911 calls but also non-emergency calls, such as calls about noise complaints, barking dogs, vandalism, etc. “There was an elderly gentleman who would call in each week, map in hand, and ask for help locating streets that his wife had picked out for yard sales,” she recalled. “I loved hearing his story of how they met and that their very first date was to a flea market and how after all these years they still do it together.”
While calling dispatchers for driving directions is not the norm (nor encouraged), showing kindness to all callers is a recurring theme among Nevada County dispatchers. “I think dispatch chose me,” said Tami. “I am a believer that to be a 911 dispatcher is a calling and not just a job.”
Thank you, Tami, for your decades of devotion to Nevada County residents.
