TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — The ability to call 911 is something most people don’t think about until they need to. The first 911 call was made in Haleyville, Ala. 50 years ago.

“It wasn’t until the late ’90s that 90 percent or higher had the ability to call 911 across the nation,” said Melanie Mill-Bergers, interim director of Shawnee County Emergency Communications.

Bergers says Shawnee County got 911 services in the late 1980’s and starting this spring people will be able to text 911.

“Today we have computers and you go in there and you don’t even see a phone,” said Bergers.

Sarah Roberts has been a dispatcher for 17 years. She says it’s a hard job, but she’s learned how to handle herself.

“Sometimes you just have to take a minute in between phone calls,” said Roberts. “You just tuck it away until you can take a break or you go home and try to decompress and do what you need to do.”

Despite the stress, Roberts says there’s nothing quite like being the help that people need.

“It’s different voices. It’s different calls. It’s different emergencies, different non-emergencies,” Roberts said. “You can assist people in their everyday traumas. We always say that their worst day is our work day.”

Shawnee County Emergency Communications has suffered from the same recruitment lows as other law enforcement agencies in recent years.

For more information click here or contact John Ostenson at john.ostenson@snco.us.