She was only minutes into her regular shift on a Thursday morning in March when Alena Greer answered an emergency 911 call that would change her life forever and bring her statewide notoriety.

Named the 2009 Telecommunicator of the Year by the North Carolina Chapter of the National Emergency Number Association, Greer said she was recognized during the association's recent conference in Sunset Beach, N.C. She was nominated by Catawba County's Telecommunication Administrator Jerry Boggs for the professionalism she demonstrated during the tragic morning of March 12, 2009.

"I was very honored to present the award to Alena," Boggs said. "The role Alena played in the tragic call on (Thursday) March 12, 2009, shows her talent in the profession she chose as a telecommunicator."

Greer said she received word about her honor about one week before the conference. She said she had no idea Boggs had nominated her and was even more unprepared to hear she won.

"I was quite surprised and happy when I found out I won," Greer said. "I haven't been recognized for anything before, so it was a complete shock to me. It was a very humbling experience."

Over the years, Greer said she has helped numerous people receive the help they need when they call in a time of emergency. But the phone call that ultimately earned her a state award is one she never will forget.

Unaware of the severity of the situation, Greer said she answered that 7:15 a.m. phone call like she would any other. On the other end was a young female voice, scared and nervous. She told Greer that when she picked her friend up for school, that friend was pulled back inside her home and attacked by an unknown suspect.

Greer said she used the procedures and questions she utilizes in similar situations to obtain as much information as possible. She also tried to speak softly and slowly to reassure the caller that help was on the way.

"I tried to gather information about the situation and exactly what she had witnessed," Greer said. "I attempted to keep her calm and on the phone so that the deputies would have as much information as possible when they arrived. The caller had no idea of the street name. She was able to give me a house number only, so I refreshed her cell phone information in our phone system and was able to obtain her cell phone's GPS coordinates.

"The map was showing that she was at an intersection near a house with the same house number she had given. The caller and the driver of the car continued to pick up other classmates as she stayed on the line with 911. I asked her to return to a safe location in the area and stay there until deputies could arrive to speak to her."

The Catawba County Sheriff's Office investigators who responded to that home March 12, 2009, have described the events that took place as nothing less than tragic. They said a woman, Lisa Saephan, and her three children, 3-year-old Cody Sae-Chao, 18-year-old Pauline Chao and 20-year-old Melanie Saephan, all were murdered. But officers say that Greer's prompt actions played a vital role in solving the case.

"Captain Roy Brown of the Sheriff's Office has expressed to me that he is certain her efforts to keep the caller on the line and rapidly get law enforcement en route that morning led to the discovery of important evidence that resulted in the identification of a suspect in the case," Boggs said.

Greer, a Caldwell County native, has been with the Catawba County E911 Communications Center since 2004. She said she grew up listening to scanners because her father worked for a fire department. She also worked as a firefighter for some time before stepping into her current role. Now, Greer said she can't think of anything she'd rather be doing.

"I love going to work everyday because there is nothing else I would want to do," she said. "It is a stress-relief for me because I know I am making a difference in someone's life. I am here to keep the public and responders safe."

Greer lives in Gamewell with her husband, James, who is a Lenoir fireman, and their two children, Colten, 8, and Cadence, 3.