FORT CAVAZOS, Texas — When you call 911, it might be one the worst days of your life — the same goes for people living and working on Fort Cavazos.
The 911 Dispatch Center on Fort Cavaozos is where Dispatch Supervisor Bobby Virgen-Sims spends his days, but his story begins in Caruthers, California.
”There’s about 3,000 people in the town — very country, lots of farm land, almod orchards, grape vines,” Virgen-Sims said.
“Just a very small town.”
That's where he happened upon the job he now loves.
”I had a job I hated and answered an ad in the newspaper, and they hired me,” Virgen-Sims said.
“That was 18 years ago.”
Afters years at the Fresno County EMS, his husband was stationed at then Fort Hood and he found a new home in their 911 Dispatch Center.
Though, the job is a little on a military installation.
”A vehicle fire on an installation could be a vehicle fire with munitions on board,” Virgen-Sims said.
“You’re not going to have that out in the civilian world.”
The job holds extra meaning for him being here at Fort Cavazos and serving that community.
”Being somebody that wasn’t in the military myself, it’s probably the closest thing I can do,” Virgen-Sims said.
The job of a 911 dispatcher takes a mental and emotional toll on everyone answering the calls for help.
That’s why Virgen-Sims has a message for other dispatchers out there.
”You have to say you did a good job, and tell yourself the outcome is probably going to be the outcome,” Virgen-Sims said.
“You’re just there to try to help change what would have happened or, did happen, and that’s not going to happen every time.”
Virgen-Sims says he loves doing the job at Fort Cavazos because he gets to help protect the very people who help protect the country.