Florida 911 Operators the Hidden Heroes of First Responders

Lee County, Florida, Sheriff Carmine Marceno visits the 911 Emergency Call Center on April 11, 2022. Courtesy, The Lee County Sheriff's Office

PUNTA GORDA, Fla.–A call to 911 has become synonymous with help, hope, and even terror—as witnessed by the nation on Sept. 11, 2001, America’s darkest day in modern history.

A 911 operator is the most important person “that you will never meet,” retired 911 supervisor Sheryle Langmaid told the Epoch Times on April 5. “We are the first, first-responders.”