At 31 years old, Ashlee Roy has built a life centered around service, resilience and family. Married to her husband for 11 years, and together for more than 16, Ashlee and her husband are raising four children: three girls and one boy. Life in their household is constantly moving, filled with the energy and chaos that naturally comes with a family of six. Yet for Ashlee, that busy lifestyle is something she treasures deeply.

While balancing motherhood and family life, Ashlee also serves her community as a 9-1-1 telecommunicator, a profession she has worked in for just over three years. Her journey into emergency communications began when she saw a hiring advertisement for her local emergency communications center. Feeling ready to return to work, she applied, completed the required testing and interview process, and soon received the news that she had been selected for the position.

Unlike many people who enter dispatch as a stepping stone into another public safety role, Ashlee never viewed it that way. She did not come from another public safety career, nor did she plan to use dispatching as a launching point elsewhere. Instead, she was drawn to the profession for one simple but powerful reason: the desire to help people.

"I wanted to be able to help at least one person," she explained.

That motivation continues to guide her today. Ashlee believes many people are drawn to emergency communications because they want to make a difference, even if they are not the "boots on the ground" type. Dispatching allows individuals to use their strengths: calm communication, quick thinking and compassion to support others during emergencies.

Her daily responsibilities vary depending on her assignment. Ashlee typically works five eight-hour shifts each week, with one or two extended into 12-hour shifts that include overtime. Some nights she handles incoming 9-1-1 and non-emergency calls, while other shifts place her in charge of dispatching fire or EMS units. Every shift carries unpredictability, urgency and responsibility.

Despite the intense nature of the work, Ashlee says the most rewarding part of the job is the people she works beside.

"We can deal with some pretty heavy events," she said, "and being able to be around people who understand what I'm doing makes all of this worth it."

She credits her coworkers for creating a support system that helps her navigate difficult calls and emotionally challenging situations. Knowing she can rely on others who understand the realities of the job has become one of the most meaningful aspects of her career.

For Ashlee, success in dispatch is not measured by recognition or titles. Instead, it comes from knowing she helped someone through one of the worst moments of their life. Even though telecommunicators are not physically on scene, she believes their role can still have a life-changing impact.

Looking ahead, Ashlee hopes to continue advancing within the profession, expanding her knowledge and training in additional disciplines. However, she also recognizes the challenges facing emergency communications centers nationwide. Staffing shortages remain a major concern, and she believes burnout and toxic workplace environments are among the leading reasons people leave the field.

To improve retention and attract young professionals, Ashlee advocates for stronger mental health support systems and healthier relationships between supervisors and employees. She believes creating a stronger bridge between leadership and frontline telecommunicators would improve morale, performance and long-term stability within communications centers.

As a young professional herself, Ashlee has also observed challenges related to age and gender within the industry. She feels younger employees, particularly women, are sometimes overlooked or not taken seriously. While she respects the experience of veteran professionals, she has seen how resistance to change can sometimes hinder efficiency and response times.

Rather than simply identifying problems, Ashlee has actively worked to help improve her agency from within. She serves on her agency's Employee Advisory Committee (EAC), acting as a bridge between floor employees and administration. Through monthly meetings, the committee brings forward suggestions, complaints, technology concerns and other issues to ensure employees' voices are heard.

Ashlee also contributes by mentoring newcomers entering the profession. Recently, she stepped into the role of interim Communications Training Officer (CTO), helping train a new call taker during a period of increased hiring. She views mentorship as essential, especially in a profession where emotional resilience and confidence are critical to success.

Her advice to new telecommunicators reflects the lessons she has learned firsthand:

"Always maintain a good, healthy support system. You will have hard days, and you need someone you can go to after those days. Keep pushing on, remember that every day is a learning day, and never be afraid to ask for help."

Ashlee believes one of her greatest strengths is balancing efficiency with compassion. In an environment where speed and accuracy are essential, she still prioritizes making callers feel heard and supported. Remaining calm under pressure allows her to gather accurate information quickly while giving clear instructions to callers and responders alike.

She also sees tremendous value in the perspective younger professionals bring into emergency communications. New generations often contribute fresh ideas, adaptability and openness to evolving technology.

Technology, in fact, has become one of the most significant changes Ashlee has witnessed during her time in dispatch. Modern systems now allow callers to share live video directly with emergency communications center, giving telecommunicators and responders real-time visual information during emergencies. These advancements improve CPR instructions, help responders locate callers more accurately, and provide critical situational awareness during fires and other incidents.

If given the opportunity to address the entire 9-1-1 industry, Ashlee says her message would center on recognition, training and mental health.

She believes telecommunicators must receive the same level of support and acknowledgment as other first responders. As the first point of contact during emergencies, telecommunicators often carry the emotional weight of traumatic calls long after they end. Continued investment in peer support, mental health resources, realistic staffing levels and modernized training is essential to sustaining the profession.

"The role requires quick thinking, emotional intelligence and the ability to make critical decisions under pressure," she said. "Ensuring that our contributions are acknowledged and valued across the industry can improve morale, retention and ultimately the quality of service provided to the public."

Through her dedication to service, advocacy for coworkers and commitment to compassion under pressure, Ashlee Roy represents a new generation of 9-1-1 professionals helping shape the future of emergency communications.

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