Answering Our Own Call:
- Tracy Severson
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
The Power of Peer Support
By: Tracy Severson
If you’re reading this, more than likely you are connected to the world of 911 dispatch. This means I don’t have to convince you that dispatchers work in high-stress environments. Every shift, we make split-second decisions that can mean life or death for the caller or our responders on the street. The general public doesn’t consider us first responders because we are not physically on scene, so they assume we can’t possibly experience the same emotional trauma as those who are.
What those people have never heard are the screams of a mother whose baby isn’t breathing or the pleas from a child witnessing someone being beaten. We are trained and wired to be the “calm in the chaos,” but what happens after the call? Or a week later? A month later? Trauma doesn’t have a timeline—everyone processes and handles it differently.
Administration usually deals with critical incidents in two ways: checking in right after or even during the incident, and then doing a quick follow-up later in the shift. Dispatchers are often reminded about employer-offered support services like EAP or social services. Here’s the issue: when we’re in the middle of a critical incident, our bodies and minds are in overdrive. We’re often so focused on the immediate crisis that we don’t have the capacity to think about seeking help. The body naturally goes into fight-or-flight mode. However, after all that, the body experiences a major adrenaline dump.
For most dispatchers I know including myself, this can present itself in several ways: a silent ride home, emotional detachment, or complete physical exhaustion. While the initial adrenaline rush wears off, these symptoms may remain but the trauma from the call or incident may not surface for some time.
Employer-offered resources, like EAP or social workers, are all well and good, but the main issue remains: trust. Many of us don’t fully trust that those services will remain confidential, or that the sensitive information shared won’t find its way back to the employer. People feel threatened that their jobs might be on the line and this discourages people from reaching out for help when they need it most.
That’s where peer support groups come in. Peer support allows others with similar experiences to provide each other with emotional, social, and practical assistance. When we’re talking to someone who has “been there,” it’s not just sympathy—it’s empathy.
The goal with a formal peer support program is that it starts to seep into your culture. It will create an organic culture shift because people will see others using it and trust it more. People want to talk to culturally competent peers—those of us who live the same job, who sit in the same chairs, who carry the same weight. That makes us uniquely qualified to help.
Peer supporters are generally immediately available—whether it’s right after the adrenaline rush or two months down the line when the trauma may resurface. They provide an emotional outlet that is confidential and safe.
The conversation about peer support groups has grown immensely in the last several years. My opinion of why is based on what has happened in our world; a pandemic, civil unrest, increased violence and reduced mental health resources. Studies specific to 911 dispatchers show 17-24% show symptoms related to PTSD. Honestly, those are older numbers and a small poll group so I feel those have more than likely increased.
And as we move into the future with technology like NextGen 911, the weight on dispatchers will grow even heavier. While receiving live video or images could improve response times and safety, it also means we’ll witness trauma in real time. Seeing a victim—or one of our own officers—hurt or killed is not something you can easily unsee.
The newer generation of dispatchers have grown up being more open about mental health. They seek workplaces that value wellness and balance. A peer support group shows that an agency is forward thinking and supportive. Let’s face it, when it comes to the balance of new generation vs. those towards the end of their career we can see which group is taking the lead. The old way of thinking and being trained to just stuff everything down isn’t how to handle this job anymore.
Peer support isn’t just another program—it’s a lifeline. It’s about creating a culture where taking care of our people is just as important as taking care of the public. It’s ok to say that call really got to me or I’ve got shit going on at home. As much as we want to be invincible, behind every radio transmission and calm voice on the line, there is a human quietly carrying the weight of calls that never leave us.
We can’t change the job and what we deal with on a daily basis. But we can change how we support the people who do it. Remembering our humanity is what connects and heals us. It’s what reminds us that we are more than just a voice under a headset. It’s what keeps us strong enough to keep showing up—for our callers, our responders, and most importantly, for each other.
Hi, I’m Tracy and work for a large consolidated center outside of Chicago. After really just kind of falling into this career during a mid-life change, it’s been nearly 10 years and I can’t imagine doing anything else. We all know this job changes you; for better and for worse. Since I’ve always been an over achiever, I am also a Certified Training Officer (CTO), Union Vice President, very involved in our Public Education team and most recently chosen for our SWAT dispatch team. Having always been passionate about mental health, when the discussion of peer support came up, I wanted to take the lead and I have learned so much. I truly believe that we still have a long way to go to improve how mental health and wellness is handled in the dispatch environment.
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Thank you - great article about a topic we are passionate about. We have to take care of ourselves to take care of others.