Katie Beatty was 'a positive light' at the Somerset County 911 center

SOMERSET ― Kaitlynn Beatty, or “Katie,” worked for just six months as an emergency dispatcher at Somerset County 911, but her lively personality and infectious laugh made an impression that her coworkers in Somerset will always remember, 911 Coordinator Angela Emerick said.

In honor of her impact, the center has officially retired her dispatcher number, 683, and will have a plaque made in her remembrance that will hang in the 911 center, Emerick said.

Beatty, from Irwin, died Tuesday morning in a three-vehicle accident along the Glades Pike in Jefferson Township. The incident remains under state police investigation.

What happened: Irwin woman killed in vehicle accident worked as a dispatcher for Somerset County 911

“Her platoon has said it’s definitely different without her on the floor,” Emerick said, referring to Beatty’s group of coworkers that cover rotating shifts together at the 911 center.

The entire department has “been trying to process and get our heads around everything that has been going on,” she said.

“We’re hanging in there, we’re leaning on each other and working through it. Part of the way we’re coping is to tell ‘Katie stories.’ She definitely made an impact on us. She’s no longer with us here, but we will continue to hold on to her memory and move her forward with us.”

Helping a local family: Why a Somerset church is asking for prayers, encouragement and donations for a Jennerstown family

'A positive light'

Beatty just turned 20 on Jan. 15, according to her obituary, and in addition to working at the Somerset 911 center, she was an active member of the Hunker Volunteer Fire Department in Westmoreland County.

Emerick said Beatty joined Somerset County 911 in July, and she helped to make a difference during a critical time when staffing at the center was challenged.

“Katie came at a time when the 911 center was rebuilding, and she and the others that were hired at that time definitely helped us at a time when we were trying to rebuild,” she said.

“Katie was definitely a positive light in the department. She was lively, she had a great personality and her laugh was infectious. What you saw (in her) was what you got.”

She enjoyed her work at the 911 center, too, was “persistent” with her training and was continuing to learn more about the job.

Helping sick children: Deb Niemiec: Her big heart and retirement

“Our training is not easy, but she was persistent. She learned and was continuing to learn. It’s a continuing process, and she was continuing to learn,” Emerick said.

“Her family has expressed how much she loved her coworkers and her work that she wanted to continue (doing). She wasn’t looking at this as a temporary thing (position).”

Since Beatty’s death, many of Somerset County’s volunteer fire departments have posted messages of condolence on social media to Beatty’s family and the Somerset County 911 center.

“We want to send a huge ‘thank you’ to everyone for their outpouring of support,” Emerick said. “The first responder community has rallied around the 911 center and Katie’s family with support.

“We’re glad everybody’s thinking of Katie.”

The family has arranged visitation hours from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the William Snyder Funeral Home, 521 Main St. In Irwin. A Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Immaculate Conception Church, 308 Second St. in Irwin.

Somerset County 911 staff plan to pay their respects to Beatty and her family in Irwin on either Friday or Saturday, and the county commissioners plan to pay their respects at some point as well, Emerick said.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Kaitlynn Beatty remembered by colleagues at Somerset County 911 center