“You don’t realize how quickly everything can change,” said Kiesha Archer
A Georgia-based 911 dispatcher whose job involves helping people in distress recently found herself on the receiving end of an emergency when she learned that her home was destroyed by a fire over a week before Christmas.
Kiesha Archer, a single mother of five children, recalled to NBC affiliate WXIA about getting a phone call from her dispatch center while she was off duty on Monday, Dec. 16.
“I left my house thinking I was going to pick up my daughter, get a pup cup for our dog, and then come home to cook dinner and watch Christmas movies,” Archer, of Paulding County, told the local news station. “But my 911 director called me and said, ‘I need you to sit down. We’ve got a call at your house, and your house is on fire.’ ”
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While its exterior appeared intact, according to WXIA, the home sustained major damage inside with all of Archer’s belongings lost due to smoke and water.
“Even the things that didn’t get burnt are so damaged from the smell, the smoke and the water, nothing is salvageable,” she told the station.
Archer and her children were not harmed in the incident. Her cat, who was at the home during the incident, went missing but was found alive four days later.
“You don’t realize how quickly everything can change,” she said.
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The family is currently looking for a rental in Paulding County while staying at the home of a friend, WXIA reported. According to their insurance company, it could take six months to a year until they could return to their home.
Archer acknowledged that she is usually the one sending help in her role as a 911 dispatcher and not on the other side of an emergency. She also recalled getting her first emergency call at work since the fire, which was an emotional experience.
“I could feel my heart pounding, but then I just went into my normal dispatcher mode,” she said.
Meanwhile, Archer’s co-workers at Paulding County 911 have established an online fundraiser to help Archer.
Per the campaign, “100% of funds raised for this campaign will be given to the dispatcher and their family.”
PEOPLE contacted Archer on Thursday, Dec. 26 for additional comment.
