By Noah Feit
The State
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The unexpected death of a longtime 911 dispatcher in Columbia and Richland County was mourned by multiple emergency agencies in South Carolina.
Chad Lamar died “suddenly” Tuesday, according to the Columbia Fire Department. Information about the 50-year-old’s cause of death was not available.
“Our hearts are heavy today for our partners at Columbia - Richland 9-1-1 as they are mourning the loss of one of their own,” the fire department said.
Lamar was a 23-year veteran with the Columbia - Richland 9-1-1 Communications Center, according to the Columbia Police Department.
“Lamar was an expert at helping (officers) safely navigate emergency calls for service,” police said.
In his role with Columbia-Richland 9-1-1, Lamar served as emergency responders’ “lifeline to the world,” according to the Irmo Fire District.
“A dispatcher who stays calm no matter what the radio traffic is saying can have a positive influence on an incident. A dispatcher who can crack a joke over the air can break the tension on scene. A dispatcher who knows everything about their system and ours brings order to the chaos quickly,” Irmo officials said. “Chad Lamar was all three of those things and more.
“He has been the voice that we’ve relied on for years. He’s also been a friend, mentor and a great human being to all of us. He will be sorely missed in the Midlands.”
That sentiment was echoed by the Columbia Fire Department, which said Lamar “was a close friend to many members of our fire family. He will be sorely missed.”
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