911 operator helps save woman from sexual assault
By Bethany Cates
Click here for updates on this story
GUILFORD COUNTY, North Carolina (WXII) — A Guilford Metro 911 operator is receiving praise after using her skills and experience to help save a woman from being sexually assaulted, all while remaining silent on the line.
The call taker allowed the caller to guide them using descriptions in conversation to pinpoint a location, what was going on, and how to get the victim out safely.
This all happened Sept. 7 around 5:30 a.m. Guilford County Metro 911 received a call that they knew required immediate assistance.
“I looked at the call, and I thought OMG, this is awful, and I said, ‘We need to get people there quick,'” said Alexis Johnson, Emergency Communication Specialist Master.
Johnson dispatches first responders to scenes.
Within seconds of being on the phone with the operator, the caller stated, “Why you got a gun pointed at me?”
Johnson said that at that point, the operator did not speak but instead collected information.
“So she starts taking the call, from what I understood, the female wasn’t speaking to her, it was more an open line, and she could hear everything,” said Johnson.
Johnson said while the operator was taking in the details, she was reading the notes to see who she could dispatch to the location.
“I happened to look at the map, and I saw that Guilford County Sheriff’s Office had some units that were actually going to be a little bit closer,” said Johnson.
Johnson and the team said that they were able to use RapidSOS, which is a tool that helps to narrow down the exact location of where the victim was.
Senior Shift Supervisor Kellie Zimmerman said the location is often the most important detail they need to be able to send help.
“If they are not able to speak freely, it is always great if they can try to give us some context clues, what’s going on, try to say things out loud,” said Zimmerman.
Zimmerman said the operator who took this call averages about 18,000 calls a year, and she is immensely proud of her dedication to serving the community.
“I just want to give credit to my call taker who handled this,” said Zimmerman. “She is solely a call taker, which is the foundation of 911. We could not do our job without solid call takers.”
Officers arrived within minutes and made an arrest before a sexual assault could occur.
WXII is working to learn more about the suspect in this case.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.