TC SPOTLIGHT BLOG: Miranda Valdez from Coastal Bend Area

1. Tell me a little bit about yourself: Where are you from, what agency do you work for, how long have you been there and what is your passion for working for 911?

 

Hi, my name is Miranda and I am from Corpus Christi Tx. I have worked for Metrocom (Corpus Christi and Nueces County dispatch) for more than seven years and my favorite part of working here is that I love to be directly involved with helping people.

 

2. I’m sure you hear a lot of interesting stories when answering calls, but what is one story that sticks out in your head that might have been scary, but turned out funny and/or everything worked out after the call.
  
One time I received a 911 call from a young boy, barely a teenager. He was hiding in his closet with his friend because they believed someone was breaking into the home. He was home alone and could not reach his mother on the phone. After about five minutes, he heard a person messing around in the kitchen. At this point, a coworker was able to contact his mother on the phone. It turns out I was his mother the whole time.

 

3. What do you think people need to know about the people who answer the phones for 9-1-1?

I believe the most important thing our customers should realize is that, although we will try to help as much as possible, most of the time the people who answer 911 are not trained police officer, fire fighters or EMS.

 

4. What do you enjoy most about your job and why?

I enjoy problem solving. Whether it be helping the public or the coworkers, I love to find the answers that can be useful to someone else.

 

5. What do you think is the hardest part about working your job and why?

The hardest part has always been not knowing the ending after the phone call is over.

 

6. Why do you think it is important for people to have 9-1-1 as a resource for emergency help?

911 is the quickest way to local emergency resources. It is easier than learning business numbers for all the surrounding police, fire, and EMS agencies.

 

7. If you could share one piece of advice with the world regarding 9-1-1, what would it be and why?

The best way to help yourself in an emergency is to always know where you are.

 

8. If you were talking to kids graduating high school who were not sure what field that wanted to go into, what would you tell them about your job and why it is such a fulfilling and worthwhile job?

If I was talking to someone graduating high school, I would tell them that they should, at least for a little while, become a public servant. Any position helping your city, county, state or country is worth a couple years of your life.