Written by Hannah Tucker

“The pressure of my job was seeping into my personal life, and I was shutting out the people I cared about. I hardly ate, couldn’t sleep well, and everywhere I existed was an unorganized mess. I thought getting out would just magically make everything better, but as it turns out it wasn’t just my work environment or career choice causing so many problems, it was my lack of boundaries.”

Written by Keely Heyman

“But yet I still returned, because I truly believed that what I did, who I was, and my experiences did not matter, and no one would care about the work I did or about me as a human, because I was, after all, JUST a dispatcher. .”

Written by Phyllis Leonard

“… I found out that my sister had taken her own life without warning and was found in a hotel room near where she worked. All I could think about was how I talked a complete stranger out of taking their life and my sister never gave me the opportunity to help her. “

Written by Juliet Brown

“I never imagined that one application and essay could open so many doors. I’ve dreamt of speaking at a national conference, but I didn’t think it would happen within a year of making it one of my goals. I’m excited and blessed to be given the opportunity to shine. Applying for the Firework Scholarship was a true example of how one decision can change your entire life.”

Written by Tracy Ertl

“No one was fighting. Everyone was gathered from around the World and for me, it represented the best of what humanity is capable of with a common goal.”

“This research has brought to light that while there are definitely some common heavy stressors in the role of an emergency telecommunicator, the weight of these stressors may vary, depending on the types of relationships that are most prominent in our personal lives.”

By Ruth Lagerquist

“I have also learned my own way to handle the vicarious trauma that our job brings, as well as job stresses, and we all have stress, even if we are only waiting for a call to come in.”

By Megan Hamilton

“I went home after that week and I sobbed because I knew I was coming home a different person. I was ready and fired up to balance everything on my plate and get myself out there.”

By Hannah Tucker

“I started my career in 911 at barely 19 years old. I was seen as too young to be capable or competent by some on both sides of the radio and knew from my very first day that I was going to have to prove myself. I started on a radio with a quiet voice but quickly learned that I needed to be louder and a bit more assertive; however, I missed the correlation between assertive and mean.”

Written by Tracy Severson

“We are known as the voice in the darkness; rarely seen but always heard. Keeping it together is in our blood. I don’t care who tells you otherwise this is not a job that everybody can do. We are not secretaries; we are the voice for our callers and our responders. Now more than ever though those voices are sounding weary.”

Written by Renee VanBuskirk. “Not going to lie, there were days I had to really search for gratitude, other days the gratitude flowed like a river.”

“Sexual harassment and discrimination can make women feel powerless. It’s designed to do that. But you can take control of the situation…”

Find the people who want to help and lean on their expertise, and never be afraid to interject your own knowledge into a situation. After all, you’re the only one who can see things from that perspective.

Written by Valerie Minor

“I had found happiness in my life and I was not going to closet that happiness. I talked about her openly at work. It was risky but I had decided the only thing I had to lose was acceptance from people that didn’t accept me for who I truly was.”

When I find myself feeling the frustration building because a particular problem is screaming at me to face it, I will take a mental step back from the situation and just try to find my center again in all the craziness around me. I call this: turning the caps lock off in my head.

“ I am on a road I never thought I could be on, and it is because I ditched that scared little voice in my head and started following my heart’s guidance. “