Roadmaps for Growth: From Vision to Action
Written by Tracy Severson
This isn’t my first time contributing to this incredible blog space within the 911der Women community. Over the years, I’ve written to the new generation of dispatchers and to the tired, worn-out ones right after COVID hit. Writing has always come naturally to me—I love sharing thoughts that might spark something in people. What I didn’t realize at the time was that even though I was speaking to others, many of the words I wrote were quietly inspiring me, too. Those words pushed me to reflect and wanting to challenge myself in my career.
This past March, I had the privilege of attending the very first Empower Conference. My director and I were especially excited to learn more about the mental-health side of dispatch, since we were in the very early stages of building our peer support team. Right away, I knew this conference would be different. There is something incredibly powerful about being surrounded by women from all corners of our profession, at every stage of their careers. Even some of the “celebrities” of the 911 world were there, ready to share their wisdom.
When we walked into the keynote that first morning, the energy in the room was unmistakable. It felt like an inspiring little cloud was hovering above us all.
When Sara took the stage, she spoke on intention and how we need to set them for ourselves. She talked about using a visual “road map” when she first started 911der Woman, and how the conference we were sitting in was the ultimate destination on that map. As a visual learner and a list-maker to my core, her words hit home. I found myself opening my notebook and sketching out a road map of my own—goals, ideas, action steps, all starting to take shape.
The next couple of days were full of incredible breakout sessions. My director and I soaked up everything we could about mental health and wellness in the dispatch world. My brain was overloaded, but in the best possible way. I felt a spark—something waking up inside me—and even during the trip home, I kept refining ideas and forming plans.
The moment I got back to the center, I dove into the work of building our peer support group: research, training, planning, organizing—piece by piece. And while that was my main focus, I was also quietly checking off some of my other road-map goals, like signing up for classes toward my Excellence in Dispatch certificate. The biggest thing I had to keep reminding myself was that none of it would be an overnight success. The roadmap may take some turns and go a completely different way. That’s ok! Real change, growth, and impact take time. There is bound to be frustration, and it may even be a time when you need to step back and let the plan breathe.
When I first started this job, I never imagined a “road map” was even possible. In those early years, all you can really do is keep your head above water—learning, growing, and trying to find your footing as a dispatcher. A few years in, you might start dipping your toes into some of the “extracurricular” opportunities, like public education or training. That’s exactly what I did. But as I approach my ten-year mark, I’ve realized that I want more. I saw real needs—not just in my own center, but across the industry as a whole. One area that stood out to me was the importance of peer support programs, regardless of an organization's size. Peer support has proven to be incredibly valuable, building trust, resilience, and connection among dispatchers. I have really pushed myself to do things outside of my box, and it has been very rewarding.
The Empower conference—and everything I learned there—has stayed with me for months. I keep reminding myself to “set my intention” and continue following the road map I started. And the truth is, it is possible. Even the smallest steps count as progress and change. Your impact doesn’t have to be something huge like creating a conference, publishing articles, or becoming a speaker. Maybe you simply see something in your own center that you want to improve. Whatever it is, make a plan—and keep moving toward it, one step at a time.
Thank you, Tracy for sharing your experience with us. If you are interested in writing a blog, please email amanda@911derwomen.com. Sign up for our newsletter on our homepage to stay up to date with 911der Women programming, exclusive content and blog updates. Click here and scroll to the bottom.