When the winter storm smacked the Metroplex and Texas as a whole last week, first responders stepped up.
Julia Maschmann in Wylie was just one of them.
Maschmann is supervisor of dispatchers for the city of Wylie, where she has been for a little over a year. Previous to Wylie, she worked as a dispatcher at Murphy for 8 1/2 years.
She reported for work on Feb. 13 for her normal shift and then stayed several days straight, ensuring the city responded as well as it could to the wintry weather and the crises that occurred. The area and state suffered through power outages and a lack of water.
“I live further out, so I was a little hesitant to drive in and out,” Maschmann said. “I don’t have family in town that I could stay with. Some of the dispatchers offered to let me stay at their houses in town, but as a supervisor, I feel like I needed to be available at all times.”
Maschmann woke up at 2 a.m. Feb. 15 to advise dispatchers about the rolling blackouts and ended up working from 2 to 6:30 a.m. in her pajamas, and then she took a nap and woke up at 9 a.m. and then went back to work. She slept in a bed in her office.
For the full story, see the Feb. 24 issue or subscribe online.
By Don Munsch • [email protected]
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