Arlington 911 operator Ingrid Massingill has been answering the call for help for years. But who's keeping track?
"22 years, three months and five days,” said Massingill. It looks like she’s keeping track.
But of all the days, one stands out: her retirement day. After more than 22 years with the city of Arlington, Massingill is moving on.
“It's sad because this is all I've known for 22 years, this is all I've done,” she said. “Helping people when they call in, or try to get them help and assisting them in any way I can.”
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Massingill took a call from woman who wasn't in danger, but was out of pet food. While it wasn't the sort of call that the police and fire departments could respond to, it's the sort of call that Massingill would.
After her shift, Massingill stopped by the 75-year-old woman's house, with pet food in hand.
Massingill has had her share of unusual calls, like the emergency grammar call, when someone called simply to ask how to spell the word "caught."
Without missing a beat, or a letter, Masingill politely and correctly spelled it for the caller, wished him a good morning and moved on to the next caller, proving there's no emergency too small.
“Ingrid always seemed to make a connection with her caller,” recalled Jimmy Pitstick, Communications Supervisor with the City of Arlington.
“She’s just a joy to work around, always coming up with a one-liner that would have everyone kind of break the ice, so-to-speak, when things would get kind of intense,” said Pitstick.
“It has been a rollercoaster. I know how [Dallas Cowboys Quarterback] Tony Romo feels,” joked Massingall. “But it has been a blast.”
And the ride's not over yet.
