Burke 911 Director Heather Joyner and Assistant Director Chris White were present at last week’s Burke-Sunrise Rotary meeting. Rotary member John Bridgers invited them to speak to club members on the state of Burke County’s 911 system. Joyner, who has 24 years’ experience prior to coming to Burke County, said that they now have 40 employees who handle all police and fire department calls and direct them to people who can help. During Hurricane Helene they received more than 5,000 emergency calls in two months. Search and Rescue calls are higher in Burke County due to our proximity to the mountains. When calls are made to the center there are five questions the 911 operator asks: Who, Where, What, When, and Weapons. Most calls are now being made from cell phones and the 911 Center has a major intelligence center to handle them. The 911 Center is working with local high schools and colleges to educate students on careers at 911 centers. Employees must be 18 years old and have no criminal background. It is a high-stress job, but it can be very rewarding. They have very sophisticated equipment. Pictured are (from left) Joyner, White, and Bridgers.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.