Jake Jewell, a beloved 911 dispatcher in Douglas, passed away early Saturday morning in Bacon County following a brief illness.
As news of Jewell’s passing spread on Saturday, tributes poured in from friends and coworkers. All mentioned Jewell’s professionalism and the conscientious manner in which he performed his duties.
In the world of first responders, 911 operators are often the forgotten participants in emergency situations. The truth is, they are on the front lines just as much as anyone else who responds. Operators are the first ones who learn about an emergency and their response sets the tone for how arriving officers and medical personnel will conduct themselves when they arrive. They also have the opportunity to put callers at ease and/or diffuse situations before officers arrive.
Jake Jewell was at the top of his field. “To one of the best dispatchers I have ever worked with. When he was on you knew someone was always there and checking on you. Truly a remarkable person and he will be terribly missed,” wrote Jason Daniel Hurst on Facebook.
“All the years we spent working together have been heartfelt, fun, and great! You truly were one of the greatest of all time in life and at your job! You will be missed!” wrote Dee Callee.
The Coffee County Sheriff’s Office posted the following announcement it its Facebook page: “Coffee County E-911 Operator 905 Jake Jewell will be greatly missed. Please keep his family, friends, and Coffee County E-911 in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Jake Jewell was not only a co-worker but a great friend to many first responders in Coffee County.”
Firefighter Lee Clements put his thoughts down as well. “One of the best to sit in that chair. No matter if you were on a traffic stop, domestic, EMS call or what, Jake was listening and checking on you. And ALL of us out there are grateful that he made sure we made it home. But then there was also his sarcastic wit and tone that we would hear in his voice, that told us what to expect on the call, without actually saying the words. And all while he was still being/sounding professional. He butted heads with us because we ‘didn’t need to make him come do our job.’ LOL. He set us in our place sometimes. We made him run VINs off the used car lot sometimes. You knew where you stood with Jake at all times. He protected us, and he loved us. And we will miss him. Fly high dude, we’ll take it from here.”
Tributes came in from out of county agencies as well. The Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office released the following statement: “Every time Jake Jewell touched the mic, he was golden. He was one of the best dispatchers to have ever put that headset on. No matter the occasion, he checked on his responders, he made sure they were aware of any and every detail that could be useful in the situation at hand and he didn’t mind giving you a tone of voice that said ‘No sir, no attitude today’ in the most professional manner. He transcended dispatching. Jake will be missed by so many and never forgotten. The JDSO sends our condolences to the Jewell family.”
Jake Jewell was indeed one of a kind. His passing leaves Coffee County E-911 and first responders shocked and saddened. He may be gone but he will never, ever be forgotten.
Funeral arrangements have not been released.