By 4:11 p.m. Aug. 14, when the blackout swept across New York City, Creighton Weldon had already worked more than 10 hours as a Supervising Police Communications Technician.

PCTs, otherwise known as 911 emergency operators, are a vital link in providing emergency services.

As tens of thousands of civilian employees flooded out of office buildings and onto the streets to head for home, Mr. Weldon and his co-workers at the New York City Police Department’s Metro Tech facility, members of Clerical-Administrative Local 1549, stayed at their posts.

“We saw all the people walking over the Brooklyn Bridge,” he said. “We didn’t know what was happening. Cell phones and TV didn’t work. The worst part was not knowing — everyone was a little edgy.”

Throughout the long, hot night, the 911 operators stayed on duty, handling emergency calls. As a supervisor, Mr. Weldon worked to schedule breaks and provide some relief for the operators. “There was no water. No food. Just pressure to take the calls,” he said.

All of his 14 years of experience, training, and quiet professionalism paid off, as Mr. Weldon and his fellow 911 operators handled 90,000 calls — twice the usual volume.

— JLT