Those who keep us safe: Princess Cooper

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Princess Cooper is a telecommunicator at Vicksburg Warren 911 and has been serving for two years. She was hired on last year and has since then been dedicated to helping people in need.

Cooper was raised by both of her parents, along with her sister, and always wanted to be involved in helping people.

“I always knew that helping something helping people was something that I wanted to do,” said Cooper

Her grandmother, who was her hero and role model, played a big role in shaping her future.

“She is deceased but she was one of my heroes and role models,” said Cooper. “She taught English in the public school system for about 30 years before she retired and passed on. She was very well-known, very well-liked. Everybody always spoke so highly of her, so I knew I had some big shoes to fill.”

To Cooper, the feeling of helping a total stranger makes the job worth it, even though it can be challenging at times.

“I think the moment that I knew that I wanted to make this a career, there was a phone call that we received about someone that wasn’t on the scene,” began Cooper. “His wife was in a wreck and he wanted us to get an ambulance to her. I could hear how terrified he was in his voice and I just knew that I had to act quickly.

He actually ended up paying a visit to the center later and wanted to speak with the dispatcher who had put the call in for him. I knew then the feeling that I got from knowing that I had helped someone, a complete total stranger, I know then it was something I wanted to do”

Not all calls that Cooper receives are easy, but she has learned to handle them with grace and professionalism. Some calls can be emotional, and others can be life-threatening, but she always does her best to provide the assistance that is needed.

On the worst of calls, Cooper said, “You can hear the fear and terror in their voices and you know that you’re the lifeline between helping them until the first responders arrive. Sometimes that can be difficult but rewarding in the same sense.”

Cooper has learned that being calm is the best approach in her job, and this helps her to better serve the people who call for help.

“I have learned that staying calm and being that calm voice for them, speaking to them in a way that they can understand they feel as though someone is there, even though I’m not physically there, I’m still there helping them through talking through it and I realized that how important it is to be there for others in their moments of need,” said Cooper.

Princess is proud of the work she does, and she knows that she is making a difference in people’s lives. She has learned that sometimes all someone needs is someone to listen to them, and she takes pride in being that person. Her calm and professional demeanor has earned her the respect of her colleagues and those who call for help.