Voices behind the badge

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - We always hear the voice on the other side of the line when you make a call for help, you don't see who or what is happening on the other end.

When their phone rings, these dispatchers are always ready to help.

Veronica Valenzuela has been a voice of reason and support for 22 years with the Calexico Police Department.

She started as a dispatcher and is now a supervisor and says the job isn’t easy but they love being able to help when called upon.

“We come in and brief each other. We answer all the non-emergency calls... the business lines and all the 9-1-1 calls... plus the radio traffic for police... fire and medical and all the paperwork that comes along with it,” said Veronica Valenzuela, dispatch supervisor.

The Calexico Police Department says being a border town with about 40,000 residents, it’s tough to keep track of many emergencies but with the help of dispatchers everything is possible.

“They are very important to our department they are our ears when we are out there,” said Victor Legaspi, Sergeant for the Calexico Police Department.

Dispatchers also have those days when they receive those worse calls.

"The calls you eventually end up taking home... as much as you want the calls to stay here you end up taking most of them home," said Yamilet Venegas, dispatcher for the Calexico Police Department.

"The ones that are harder and more sad that you take home are the ones with children and the elderly," said Valenzuela.

From all of us, a big thank you to all of our dispatchers across the Desert Southwest.