01/29/2026
The Voices That Never Stopped Answering
While crews were navigating ice-covered roads, downed trees, and dangerous conditions, there was another group working tirelessly behind the scenes — our dispatchers.
During this weather event, they took every single call. Every emergency. Every request for help. Every moment of uncertainty from our community. And they did it while coordinating multiple departments at once, managing limited resources, and making critical decisions — flawlessly.
We cannot begin to imagine how mentally and emotionally taxed they were.
Dispatchers had to:
•Prioritize life-threatening calls in real time
•Delegate responses across EMS, fire, law enforcement, rescue, and TDOT, electric companies, water companies, and so many more
•Track units, road conditions, and changing hazards
•Remain calm, composed, and reassuring on the phone — no matter how overwhelming the situation
•They were the calm in the chaos.
•The steady voice on the other end of the line.
•The lifeline connecting every department together.
These professionals don’t get to step away from the phones. They don’t get the relief of movement. They carry the weight of every call — and still show up ready for the next one.
To our dispatchers: thank you for your endurance, your precision, and your unwavering dedication to this community. The work you did during this storm did not go unnoticed — and could not have been done without you.
You are essential.
You are respected.
And we are incredibly grateful.
