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Waukesha County vehicle in ditch calls steady during winter storm
As a winter storm brought snow, wind and cold to southeast Wisconsin Thursday, slick roadways were a big concern. In Waukesha County, 911 dispatchers came to work prepared.
WAUKESHA, Wis. - As a winter storm brought snow, wind and cold to southeast Wisconsin Thursday, Dec. 22, slick roadways were a big concern. In Waukesha County, 911 dispatchers came to work prepared.
At the Waukesha County Communication Center, calls came in pretty steadily all day Thursday, but considering what could have been, things actually went pretty smoothly heading into Thursday night.
The shift supervisor said he hesitates to use the "Q" word (quiet), but knock on wood, he said Thursday was a good day as far as call volume.
He said storm-related calls were mostly for cars in ditches, and there weren't many for someone injured or property damaged. They did have extra staff in earlier Thursday just in case, and despite the added stress of the winter storm, the communications center was decked out for Christmas, helping add some brightness to a job where you can hear people’s worst day call after call.
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"It can be draining," said Phil Jacobs, second-shift supervisor. "To be able to look around and have a little festivity, realize that, ‘You know what, I’m probably going to be working Christmas, but I’m going to be working Christmas here with people that I know have my back, are here dedicated to people in Waukesha County, and we’ve got a little niceness,’ it definitely helps."
Jacobs said he wanted to give his team credit for doing all they could to help keep people safe in Waukesha County Thursday.