NATCHEZ — They don’t carry guns, they’re not cuffing bad guys and they probably won’t ever be in a high-speed chase.

But the work done by the dispatchers at the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and the Natchez Police Department plays a critical role in law enforcement, Adams County Sheriff Angie Brown said.

“We could not work without them,” Brown said. “They are our ears. When they get a call, they need to let the deputy know what he’s going into.”

And this week both the ACSO and NPD were honoring their dispatchers and the critical roles they fill during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.

Like Brown, Natchez Police Chief Mike Mullins said the work done by the dispatchers is as important as the work done by the officers on the street.

“They are our lifeline out there,” Mullins said.

And being a lifeline requires a great deal of dedication, the ability to multi-task and the ability to work well under stress, Mullins said.

“This is not an easy job,” Mullins. “It’s not for everyone.”

In the NPD’s dispatch room, dispatcher Lillie Irving has been fielding calls for the police, fire department and local ambulances for the past 18 years.

“It gets stressful,” Irving said. “But you get so busy, you don’t realize how stressful it is until you finally slow down.”

In between sentences, Irving takes radio calls from officers, phone calls from city residents and jots down license plate numbers.

“It’s always busy — always,” she said.

Across town ASCO dispatcher Danielle Jones, like Irving, is fielding call after call while taking notes for records.

“This is a job you have to want to do,” Jones said. “And I love it. I love working with the public. But it gets intense, and you get stressed. But you have to just stay calm and always be patient.”

More than once in her 12-hour shift, Jones is talking on two phones at once.

Not all of the calls Jones gets are dire emergencies, but they all require patience.

Jones said one of the office’s most regular callers insists aliens are living in her attic and always wants a deputy dispatched to scare them away.

“It’s just part of the job,” Jones said, laughing.

“You just have to humor them sometimes.”