Agencies cooperate during storm

Local News

Related Photos

Bob Gibbins

Discussion

February 16, 2009

By BOB GIBBINS The Tahlequah Daily Press Mon Feb 16, 2009, 01:23 PM CST

The Jan. 26 ice storm may quickly become a fleeting memory for most Cherokee County residents, now that their electricity has been restored and life has returned to normal.

But there’s one thing about the storm that the county’s 911 dispatchers won’t soon forget : the spirit of departments helping people in need, and working long, hours without complaint.

911 Coordinator Darryl Maggard said dispatchers stayed busy for the first three days while conditions were at their worst.

“We answered 930 emergency [911] calls and took 2,800 regular calls during those three days,” he said.

He and 911 dispatcher supervisor Terry Sherman lauded the group’s efforts. The dispatchers said the credit extends beyond the confines of their room.

“Several of the volunteer fire departments went above and beyond,” said Theresa Alberty, who dispatches for the sheriff’s office. “The Illinois River Fire Department spent hours clearing [State] Highway 10 so ambulances could get through to make emergency runs.”

Alberty and Danai Cole, who dispatches for Cherokee Nation EMS, said sheriff’s deputies and Cherokee Nation marshals saw to it that people who needed to get to shelters had transportation to do so.

“Cherokee Nation had a chainsaw crew that was out cutting trees,” Cole said.

Alberty said the emergency services effort wasn’t just a one-time occurrence.

“They’d get done clearing an area and call us and want to know where they need to go next,” she said. “Cookson and Welling fire departments spent a lot of time out helping.” Alberty said she recalls the Department of Transportation crews and Cherokee County District 3 working well with 911 dispatchers. “They weren’t sitting back waiting on us,” she said. “It was, ‘Where do you need us to go next?’”

Cole said the American Red Cross was quick to open shelters in Tahlequah and Cookson and help people who lost power.Maggard and Sherman said the dispatchers commented to them several times about how smoothly everything was handled.

“I think we all learned something from the 2007 ice storm,” Maggard said. “We were better prepared for this one, and it showed.”

Text Only

Local News

Artistic wonders
Anthony Amason understands he sometimes has to push his students beyond their comfort zones so they’ll grow and become successful.

February 3, 2012 2 Photos
Matlock receives five years for rape
A former Tahlequah High School teacher and coach was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon after pleading guilty to rape.

February 3, 2012
Some enrollment up; some down
As public schools in Oklahoma suffer further budget cuts , student enrollment continues to increase.

February 3, 2012 1 Photo
Deputy shoots, kills Norwood man
NORWOOD – A Cherokee County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a man Wednesday night after responding to a noise complaint near Norwood.

February 3, 2012
Plumb resigns as CNEC chairwoman
Cherokee Nation Election Commission Chairwoman Susan Plumb announced Thursday she would resign her position on the board, effective Tuesday, Feb. 14.

February 3, 2012
Bypass getting signals
After months of discussions between city and state officials, a Tahlequah intersection notorious for producing injury and fatality crashes is set to receive traffic lights.

February 2, 2012 1 Photo
Johnson seeks appeal of conviction
A Cherokee County man convicted last year of first-degree manslaughter is seeking an appeal.

February 2, 2012
Local opinion: Candidates deserve scrutiny
With the Republican nomination still up for grabs, campaigns of the remaining four men in the fray have called their competitors on the carpet about a number of issues – including releasing tax information, how much they give to charity, and sexual misconduct.

February 2, 2012
Area Tolkien fans eagerly await ‘The Hobbit’
A children’s fantasy novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, titled, “The Hobbit,” was published on Sept. 21, 1937. The book followed the journey of a pint-sized humanoid named Bilbo Baggins on his quest to snatch a treasure from Smaug the dragon.

February 2, 2012
Life enrichment
Whether it’s sports, dance, cooking or computers, lifelong learning programs enrich lives and can advance careers.

February 1, 2012 1 Photo
More Local News Headlines

Last year, Cherokee County was hit with severe snowstorms in the winter, followed by devastating floods in the spring. What have you done to protect your property, in case it happens again?

Local News

Search Results

Related Photos

Discussion

Agencies cooperate during storm

Last year, Cherokee County was hit with severe snowstorms in the winter, followed by devastating floods in the spring. What have you done to protect your property, in case it happens again?

Site Map

Contact Us