Liberty County Sheriff Bobby Rader’s “Employee of the Month” selection committee has once again tapped one of those “behind the scenes” employees who are so vital to the operation of the agency but rarely gets the recognition that is so well deserved. The Employee of the month for November is night shift Telecommunications dispatcher Emalee Diehl. The first thing one might notice about Emalee is what some people might describe as a “sunny” personality. It is obvious that the public service the Sheriff’s Office has to offer and “her deputies” safety is paramount in her goals and objectives and she is quick to express those feelings. Having graduated from Hardin High School in 2011, Emalee quickly entered Lee College and earned as Associate Degree in Safety Management, a career field that she felt, at the time, would be her life’s calling. However, it seems that her stronger desire, as she so well puts it, was to “help people” and that desire found her spending five years as a volunteer with the Richmond, Texas Fire Department while earning a basic certificate as an EMT. Later she progressed to the Liberty County Sheriff Office as a dispatcher for a year and a half and it was at that point in her life that she decided to put her degree in Safety Management to work for her. This effort was somewhat short lived as her goals of “helping others” were not being met so for the past three months, the Sheriff’s Office has had the good fortune of having Emalee Diehl back on the “mike” doing the type work she truly loves.
When any Sheriff’s employee is nominated for this monthly honor, the person who nominates a particular employee describes the outstanding qualities of the nominee. The list that was submitted with Emalee’s nomination reads in such a way that would make any agency proud to have an employee that demonstrates these features. She is described as dependable, loyal, she always takes the initiative and never complains regardless of how difficult the task may be and she performs best when under pressure. Emalee is her own biggest critic as she avoid mediocrity and constantly strives to improve herself. She is further described as being the glue that holds her shift together and many times, appears to be even “psychic” due to her ability to anticipate what is needed before it is actually needed.
When ask about the most chilling “911” call she has ever received she quickly points out it was a case where a little four year old girl called the dispatcher at about 11:pm one night telling Emalee that her mother and father were fighting. Deputies arrived on the scene and quickly settled the family dispute but then Eamlee, concerned about the little girl’s welfare, ran a check of the cell phone the little girl used and found that the child was now across the road from her sleeping parent’s home and it was nearing midnight. Much too late for this small child to be out on the streets. Again, the deputies returned to the scene and assured that the little girl was placed safely back home for the night. It’s this type of “going the extra mile” that makes dispatcher Diehl an exceptional employee.
With these outstanding qualities and commitment to high work ethics, Emalee still finds time to enjoy “mudding” on her four wheeler, hunting and working towards the next level in the Telecommunication field. It’s her basic goals from childhood to work in a career field where she could not only help others but for others to know they could look up to her and trust her for assistance when in need. She sees the Sheriff’s Office improving by finally getting computers in the patrol cars so deputies can run checks and make reports from their units. A system that many other agencies have had for years. And finally, with a sly smile on her face, she says that her greatest wish is to see Sheriff Bobby Rader remain as her Sheriff for many years to come.
With the many positive qualities that are demonstrated daily, we ask the public to join Emalee Diehl’s fellow co-workers in congratulating her for a job well done and for her selection as the “Employee of the Month” for November, 2016
