Emergency calls to 911 save lives every day. But it is not every day that these calls create everyday heroes.
This year, there were two heroes who were recognized by the Hays County Sheriff’s Department for their quick response to distress calls – a 12-year-old boy and a 911 dispatcher.
Trevor, 12, was on his way to a friend’s house on April 25 on his scooter when he noticed a front door open across the street. He peered in to see an elderly man lying in the entryway. The young boy quickly made a U-turn and went home to tell his dad, who called 911.
When Trevor’s mom asked him how he knew what to do, he said: “Junior Deputy Academy.”
A veteran of the 3-day summer program for 9–12-year-olds, Trevor had learned about the County Sherrif’s patrol, SWAT, crisis negotiation, criminal investigations, crime scene, K9 unit, and community services divisions and met first responders through the program.
“Trevor’s quick thinking and calm response are a powerful reminder of what our Junior Deputy Academy teaches – and of the vital role our youth play in keeping our community safe. Thank you, Trevor, for being the hero you are and a true example of what the Hays County Junior Deputy is all about,” wrote the Sheriff’s department in a Facebook post.
Sheriff Anthony Hipolito says they are expanding the program for teens, treating them as deputies for five days in the summer, to help recruit the next generation of law enforcement. “We are always looking for dispatchers, who must be trained to be first responders in the state of Texas,” he says.
That training saved another life last November, when 911 dispatcher Eden Dunn talked a Kyle woman through CPR for her unresponsive 35-year-old husband.
“I want you to lay him flat on his back on the ground, not on the bed, and remove anything from under his head,” she said calmly in the recording. “Count with me,” she told the woman as she walked her through CPR.
When the two women met, they embraced about the successful outcome of the call.
“Every ring of the phone brings an opportunity to make a life-saving difference,” says the Sheriff’s Department.
911 in Numbers
In 1967, a presidential commission under President Lyndon B. Johnson recommended a single number for public emergencies.
In 1968, AT&T designated 911 as the standard emergency code.
The Hays County Sheriff’s office staffs 25-30 dispatchers who work 12-hour shifts.
In 2025, Hays County Sheriff’s Department 911 dispatch processed an average of 1,500 telephone calls a day, which resulted in over 140,000 calls for service for Law Enforcement, Fire, and EMS calls for service.
From April to the end of June there were 30,500 calls.