In 2023, Alexander City dispatchers received over 29,000 calls.
People call – hundreds at a time – when the power goes out in the area. They call when trees are blocking a roadway or when a powerline is down. People call when there’s a snake lying on their front porch, or when they need to verify a car’s VIN, or when they are trying to pay court fees and need to be transferred to the county clerk.
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96J 2=D@ 42== E@ 56D4C:36 9@FD6D 6?8F=765 :? 7=2>6D] %96J 42== 27E6C 7=:AA:?8 E96:C G69:4=6D @? E96 9:89H2J 2?5 4C2H=:?8 @FE 7C@> E96 HC64<286[ @C 2D E96J H2E49 2 A6CD@? E96J =@G6 92G6 2 962CE 2EE24<]kDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmyFDE 23@FE 6G6CJ 6>6C86?4J :? p=6I2?56C r:EJ CF?D E9C@F89 E96 5:DA2E496CD]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm~7E6?E:>6D[ 5:DA2E496CD H:== C6>2:? @? E96 A9@?6 H:E9 2 A6CD@?[ E2=<:?8 E96> E9C@F89 2 EC28:4 D:EF2E:@? 7@C D@>6 E:>6 367@C6 A@=:46[ 7:C6 @C 6>6C86?4J >65:42= D6CG:46D 2CC:G6] %96J >2J 368:? E@ 766= 2 4@??64E:@? H:E9 E96 42==6Ck^DA2?m kDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm–k^DA2?m kDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm2 EF8 @7 6>A2E9J E92E 42FD6D E96> E@ 9@A6 7@C E96 D:EF2E:@? E@ A2? @FEj 7@C 2 >:DD:?8 A6CD@? E@ 36 7@F?5j 7@C 2 =68 E@ ?@E 36 2>AFE2E65j 7@C A2C2>65:4D E@ 2CC:G6 72DE 6?@F89 E@ D2G6 E96 =:76 @7 2 8F?D9@E G:4E:>]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmqFE[ :?6G:E23=J[ E96 42== 6?5D] %96 5:DA2E496CD 2C6 C6BF:C65 6=D6H96C6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“*@F’C6 2=H2JD C625:?8 2 DE@CJ 2?5 ?6G6C 86EE:?8 2? 6?5:?8[” D2:5 $2>2?E92 {6H:D[ H9@ 92D 366? 2 5:DA2E496C 2E E96 p=6I2?56C r:EJ !@=:46 s6A2CE>6?E 7@C `c J62CD] “*@F >2J <?@H E96J H6C6 C62==J 9FCE 2?5 E96 6IE6?E @7 E96:C :?;FCJ[ 3FE J@F >2J ?@E <?@H H92E 92AA6?D E@ E96> =2E6C]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%@52J[ {6H:D :D E96 5:DA2E49 DFA6CG:D@C] $96 >2?286D 6:89E 7F==\E:>6 2?5 EH@ A2CE\E:>6 6>A=@J66D H9@ H@C< `a\9@FC D9:7ED[ 7@FC 52JD 2 H66<]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm$96 3682? 2E E96 286 @7 `h[ @C:8:?2==J :?E6?5:?8 E@ H@C< @?=J E6>A@C2C:=J] qFE D9@CE=J 27E6C 4@>A=6E:?8 96C EC2:?:?8[ {6H:D 5:D4@G6C65 D96 925 2 E2=6?E 7@C E96 ;@3] $96 6?;@J65 E96 72DE\A2465[ 3FDJ 6?G:C@?>6?E 2?5 E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 96C C@=6 E@ E96 =:G6D @7 @E96CD] $96 6?;@J65 36:?8 492==6?865 3J 42==6CD H9@ 5:5?’E <?@H H96C6 E96J H6C6[ 92G:?8 E@ FD6 DEC66E D:8?D 2?5 C@25 >2C<6CD E@ 7:8FC:?8 @FE E96 =@42E:@? 2?5 D6?5 96=A]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“%96C6 2C6 A6@A=6 H9@ A=2J 7@@E32==[” D2:5 {6H:D] “%96J <?@H E96J’C6 8@@5 2E E92E] p?5 x H2D 8@@5 2E E9:D] x 76=E =:<6 x 4@F=5 5@ E9:D]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmqFE ?@E 6G6CJ 42== 6?5D H:E9 2 A@=:46 4CF:D6C[ 7:C6ECF4< @C 2>3F=2?46 C@==:?8 :? 2?5 D2G:?8 E96 52J]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x’G6 E2<6? D6G6C2= 325 42==D[” D2:5 {6H:D] “x E9:?< :E 42? 36 H@CD6 7@C 5:DA2E496CD[ 3642FD6 2 =@E @7 E:>6D[ H6 92G6 E@ 4C62E6 E92E :>286CJ :? @FC 9625D :? @C56C E@ 96=A 2 A6CD@?] $@[ x E9:?< :E 27764ED FD 5:776C6?E=J[ 3642FD6 H6 5@?’E 92G6 E@ D66 :E] xE’D 2 H9@=6 5:776C6?E A6CDA64E:G6 2?5 A@:?E @7 G:6H] xED =67E E@ J@FC :>28:?2E:@?[ H9:49 42? 36 H@CD6[ 3642FD6 J@FC :>28:?2E:@? 42? C62==J >6DD H:E9 J@F]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmtG6CJ 5:DA2E496C 86ED @?6 @C EH@ 42==D E92E C62==J E6DE E96>] ~7E6?E:>6D[ {6H:D D2:5[ 42==D 4@>6 E9C@F89 E92E 2C6 A2:?7F= 6?@F89 E@ >2<6 5:DA2E496CD BF:Ej 6G6? E9@D6 H9@ 92G6 H@C<65 7@C J62CD]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“*@F 5@?’E <?@H 9@H J@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ 92?5=6 2 D:EF2E:@? F?E:= J@F 86E :E[” D2:5 {6H:D] “*@F’C6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 5@ E96 D2>6 E9:?8 6G6CJ 52J] &?E:= J@F’G6 6IA6C:6?465 2 A=6E9@C2 @7 5:776C6?E EJA6D @7 42==D[ J@F 5@?’E <?@H :7 J@F 42? 92?5=6 :E]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%@ 96C[ E96 H@CDE 42==D 2C6 ?@E E96 @?6D E92E 2C6 ?646DD2C:=J E96 >@DE EC28:4[ ?@E E96 @?6D H96C6 2 42==6C’D G@:46 92D E92E F?:BF6 E@?6 @?=J AC6D6?E :? 6>6C86?4:6D 2?5 =:76\E9C62E6?:?8 D:EF2E:@?D] pD 2 5:DA2E496C[ {6H:D 92D 2 A2CE E@ A=2J :? E96D6 >@>6?ED @7 A2:? 2?5 >@C3:5:EJ] %@ 96C[ E96 H@CDE 42==D 2C6 E9@D6 H96C6 D96 42??@E 96=A]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“(6’G6 2== E2<6? 2 42== E92E’D 492?865 FD D@>6 … 3FE E96 92C56DE @?6’D 2C6 E96 @?6D H96C6 J@F 766= 96=A=6DD]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm{6H:D 92D 96C @H? DE@C:6D @7 42==D D96 42? C6>6>36C G:G:5=J[ 42==D E92E 492?865 96C] p?J@?6 H9@ 92D H@C<65 =@?8 6?@F89 2D 2 5:DA2E496C 92D @?6[ D96 D2:5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmqFE E96 42==D 2C6 ?@E 2=H2JD 325] x7 5:DA2E496CD 92G6 5@?6 E96:C ;@3D 4@CC64E=J[ :E 42? 36 7F=7:==:?8] |2?J E:>6D[ 42==6CD 6IAC6DD 8C2E:EF56 7@C 96=A 5FC:?8 =:76\492?8:?8 D46?2C:@D] |2?J E:>6D[ 5:DA2E496CDk^DA2?m kDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm–k^DA2?m kDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm:? 4@?;F?4E:@? H:E9 A@=:46[ 7:C6 2?5 t|$k^DA2?m kDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm–k^DA2?m kDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm2C6 96C@6D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“%92E @?6 A9@?6 42== E92E J@F 92?5=65 C:89E[ 2?5 E96J E92?<65 J@F 7@C :E[ :?DE625 @7 :E ?@E 8@:?8 E96 H2J J@F H2?E65[” D2:5 {6H:D] “xE >2<6D 2 5:776C6?46 H96? J@F 766= =:<6 J@F 5:5 D@>6E9:?8] ~C H96? J@F 92G6 2 325 42==[ @C 2 D42CJ 42==[ H96C6 E96J 5@?’E <?@H H96C6 E96J 2C6[ 2?5 J@F 7:?5 E96>] %92E E9@D6 2C6 E96 3:8 @?6D E@ >6[ H96? 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 52J[ x 86E E@ 8@ 9@>6 <?@H:?8 x 5:5 H92E x H2D DFAA@D65 E@ 5@] x 96=A65 D@>63@5J[ H96E96C E96J E92?<65 >6 @C ?@E] x <?@H x 5:5 :E] x <?@H x H2D E96C6 7@C 9:>] p?5 E9:?8D 4@F=5 92G6 366? D@ >F49 H@CD6 925 x ?@E 5@?6 >J ;@3 4@CC64E=J]”k^DA2?mk^Am
