Hometown hero honored at Trail Blazers game
Published 5:23 pm Monday, October 25, 2021
- Brooke Langerman stands outside Portland’s Moda Center. A 911 dispatcher for Wallowa County, Langerman was honored as a “hometown hero” at a Portland Trail Blazers game Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, for her work keeping the dispatch center going during the COVID-19 pandemic.
PORTLAND — Brooke Langerman, one of the Wallowa County 911 dispatchers, was celebrated Saturday, Oct. 23, at the Portland Trail Blazers game as “our hometown hero.”
Supervisor Tammy Shaver nominated Langerman for the award for her hard work when most of the Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office 911 staff was down with coronavirus. Shaver wanted to recognize her dedication during a difficult time, said Brenda Micka, administrative services director for the county, in an email Monday.
Without Langerman, Shaver would not have been able to keep the 911 dispatch center up and running, Micka said. She willingly gave up time with her family to work extra hours when she could have succumbed to the pressure and fear of the COVID-19 outbreak in the center and requested to remain quarantined or sequestered at home.
“Thanks to Brooke, our level of service did not waver and we continued to provide help and succor to the members of the county and our responders,” Micka said. “We want to recognize those who go above and beyond. Brooke did.”
This wasn’t the first time Langerman was honored for going above and beyond as a dispatcher. On Aug. 18 at their regular meeting, she was awarded the second-ever Golden Feather of Achievement award by the Wallowa County commissioners.
“We really appreciate the above and beyond and your willingness to hang in there and keep a vital part of Wallowa County operating at the 911 station there,” Commissioner Todd Nash said at the time. “You gave up family time in a time of trepidation where you could’ve said, ‘It’s just too dangerous and I’m not coming in.’ But you kept that operation going and we really appreciate your service and we want to recognize that. There’s a lot of extra people who came here today just to make sure you are recognized for your duties here, so thank you very much.”
Langerman said after the presentation that four of the six 911 dispatchers were out sick with coronavirus and it was just her and Shaver keeping the operation going.
“We were working 12-hour shifts,” Langerman said.
The mother of three, ages 3, 5 and 6, said that the long shifts and shorthanded situation lasted about two weeks.
