Page 60 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2022

Heroes
Pascagoula Public Servants Uphold Their Vows to Each Other and Their Community
Talk at home doesn't usually revolve around work for Scott
and Tiffany Andrews. That's because both work for the city of Pascagoula in jobs that are sometimes stressful. Scott is a fireman and Tiffany is the dispatcher for the police department.
“We have an unspoken rule that we don't try to pry things out of each other, but if she wants to talk, I'll listen,” Scott says. “She's just thankful I got home safely.”
This busy couple often have only three hours a day with each other. “I usually have a venting time and then I'm over it; we hang it on a tree then,” Tiffany said. “Your family doesn't need to hear what you've dealt with all day.”
With teenage daughters Baleigh and Laila involved with sports, things can get hectic but Tiffany says they make it work with their schedules. Currently, they're building a house, which also adds to the demands on their time.
A dispatcher for 18 years, Tiffany says the worst thing she's had to deal with was Hurricane Katrina. “I worked through it and heard all the cries for help and we were helpless,” she says. “There were plenty of horrible calls. Scott stayed with me at the station and slept on the floor.”
She also recalls the excitement of being on the phone as babies were delivered.
Her advice to the public is to be patient with dispatchers so they can send the help that's needed. “It feels good in your soul when you're able to help someone,” she said.
Scott worked on an ambulance before joining the Pascagoula Fire Department in 2004. He was recently promoted to battalion chief. “I'm thankful to work there and plan to stay,” he says.
Both the Andrewses were born and raised in Pascagoula. They make a point of having vacation time together and like to go to the beach. Scott says he likes to relax by putting on headphones and driving a tractor on the land where they're building their house.
When the family is together, they feel it's important to eat together. “We eat as a family even if it's just peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,” Scott said.
60 | July 2022
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
story by Lynn Lofton photos courtesy of Scott and Tiffany Andrews