This Week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators week, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office remains a vital part of the community.

Michelle Kingery is the Dispatch Supervisor at Marion County Sheriff’s office and says that part of what makes their department so important is that someone always needs to be available 24/7.

“I think our role is very crucial because we are the ones that have to answer the phones. There can’t never be someone here. There always has to be someone whether it’s an emergent call or a non-emergent call. The public expects someone to answer the phone, and obviously if it is an emergent call we have to take their information and get it out as quickly as possible.”

The dispatchers at the Sheriff’s office want the public to know that they are available any time of day and they hope they can always be the calm voice and lifeline on the other end of the phone in any sort of situation that arises. Hear more from Kingery and dispatchers Cody Rankin and Tyler Killoren on today’s Let’s Talk Knoxville.