Faith, Listening, and a Life Worth Saving

This post is a little different from my usual photography-related blogs, but it’s an important part of my life story—one I feel compelled to share.

From 1998 until the end of 2023, my full-time career was in the Santa Cruz 9-1-1 dispatch center. I answered the calls, spoke on the radio to police officers, firefighters, and EMS workers, and supported my coworkers on the dispatch floor however I could. As I climbed the professional ladder to the third-highest position in the agency, my responsibility expanded to supporting all dispatchers and staff.

The community, public service employees, and my own team were my clients. They were my priority—always. I fought for them when it mattered, sometimes winning, sometimes not. The truth is, I spent more awake hours with them than I did with my own family.

Growing Up in the 9-1-1 Center

I started at 21 years old, newly married to my firefighting husband, full of joy, hope, and a belief that I could bring light into a place where darkness sometimes lurked. My mission was simple: be authentically me—joyful, hopeful, kind, and a critical thinker.

That authenticity was challenged more than once. It’s surprising how easily we absorb behaviors that aren’t our own, how they slowly become normal. For me, it was swearing.

I’m not a swearer. I believe there are thousands of words that can express what we mean without resorting to the easy way out. But in a high-stress dispatch center, where lives are literally on the line, F-bombs flew like toilet paper in a midnight prank. And before I knew it, they started flying out of my own mouth. The first few times, I surprised myself. But eventually, I found a way to control my words—choosing more creative (and often amusing) alternatives.

I’m thankful that my ability to be kind and direct was the norm for me; surpassing all the negatives. I was honored many times in my career from helping save a life with CPR instructions, to receiving a “key to the city” for another Melody moment, to the top honor of being selected by my peers and management as Dispatcher of the Year. I’ll always be thankful for the opportunity to be authentically me in a most challenging environment.

Anchored in Joy

At my core, my joy comes from my faith—a personal faith in someone greater than this world. It’s subtle. I never needed to preach it; I just wanted people to see light in me rather than the darkness around us.

Another invaluable lesson from my career? Active listening.

Many people think they know how to listen: You talk. I listen. I repeat back what I heard. You confirm. Done. But in 9-1-1 conversations, listening is rapid, sometimes pushy—because seconds matter.

Between my character, my listening skills, and the countless multitasking systems I mastered (also hello, 90+ WPM typing speed!), I was prepared for one of the most impactful calls of my career—the day I spoke with a 17-year-old boy who was ready to end his life.

A Life Worth Saving

Earlier this year, Faith, Family & Law Enforcement Officers, an online support group, reached out, asking me to share my experience as a Christian in public safety. I was honored and immediately knew what I wanted to write about: the power of active listening—how it can be direct and kind, and how it takes practice.

Writing that article made me realize I had needed to process that phone call for years. Stepping away from the dispatch console has given me time to breathe, reflect, and recognize just how many lives I interacted with in that career—including his.

His life matters just as much as mine. Every life has a story worth telling. Every day, we get a new chance—to experience something new, to see the old in a new way, to change the trajectory of a day, a week, or even a year.

I’m grateful he chose not to end his story that day. I often wonder how he’s doing now. I hope he’s well. I hope he’s thriving.

If you’d like to read the article I wrote, here’s the direct link: Listening Is Live Saving