Across the River
THOSE WHO ANSWER OUR EMERGENCY CALLS: I always wanted to visit the place at the Emergency Operation Center in Convent where all emergency calls are received. Whether we need ambulance service, the assistance of a deputy, need to report a fire or a gas leak around our home, the calls go to the same call center. The person who answers our call is usually friendly and firm because she must collect information in a timely manner. The caller is sometimes very nervous, emotional or frantic, and the person in Convent taking the call must settle them down enough to get basic information like name, address, and phone number. She needs to know the kind of emergency, so she will know what department or departments to dispatch. While they are trained and experienced to do their jobs timely and efficiently, they are also humans with big hearts. They can’t see the baby that is very sick and the house that is burning with children inside, but they know the story and do their best to get professionals on the scene as quickly as possible to rescue the children trapped in the fire or get the child to the hospital. Thanks to Lt. Jywanna Octave, Communications Officer with the St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office, for the tour. Thanks to all who work in the EOC who answer our calls.
