One woman’s passion for her behind-the-scenes job has landed her an Every Day Hero award.
Jessica Nelson, who works as a Calgary 911 dispatcher for the Calgary Police Services, was recognized in Edmonton on Oct. 5 as an Every Day Hero by Benoit Wellness Consulting, which supports first responders through its Front Line Resiliency Project.
“My boss actually nominated me, which is awesome,” said Nelson, who lives in Okotoks with her seven-year-old and two-year-old sons.
The awards ceremony recognized five first responders in Alberta who had gone above and beyond in their line of duty and made a positive impact on their communities, she said.
In her nomination, Nelson’s boss referred to her as compassionate and empathetic when taking calls from people who require police assistance. In situations with non-emergency calls, she is always able to help them and point them in the right direction.
Sometimes the job gets the adrenaline pumping.
“Two incidents I’ve been involved in have been officers involved with shootings where I’ve had to really think quickly and work hard to be the calm voice on the other end of the radio to make sure they knew they got the help they needed and that they made it home from that,” said Nelson.
She said being honoured for just doing her job was very humbling. She said at first, hearing the stories of the other nominees, she wasn’t sure she belonged.
“I take it for granted, sometimes, what I do for work because I enjoy my job so much,” said Nelson. “When I tell people about it they’re always asking if it’s really stressful or really difficult, but it’s just what I do.
“So something I take for granted as just my job, I recognize it’s a lot for some other people.”
Although she sees her work as just another day, she was grateful to be recognized for the hard work that does go into each call.
She enjoys the job because of its variety, and the fact she gets to help people in some capacity every day.
Sometimes taking calls makes her thankful for the life she leads.
“When I hear people’s stories sometimes it really helps me feel grateful for my life, that these are concerns I’ve never had to have,” said Nelson.
She said it was nice to be recognized as a first responder, because often dispatchers aren’t thought of in that way, since they’re not physically on the ground.
“We’re the first point of contact,” said Nelson. “When someone calls me, I’m the one hearing someone screaming, maybe someone being stabbed or being shot – those are extreme, but it’s true – we are right there.”
“We can’t see it, but we can hear it. And we don’t often get closure. We kind of hang up the phone when the police get there an that’s as much as we get. I’ve seen the impact that can have on people.”
She said it’s important to have good supports in place and a healthy way to deal with stress. For Nelson, that comes in the form of working out, and enjoying time with her kids and her family and friends.
The potential for post traumatic stress disorder is the reason Colette Benoit started up Benoit Wellness Consulting with her husband, Gary. The pair then established the Front Line Resiliency Project, which specifically helps first responders.
“It came about mostly because we’ve been in the first responder community,” said Benoit.
Her husband has been a police officer for 21 years, and after witnessing some critical incidents he went through a rough patch, she said.
They pulled through and learned how to live a more balanced lifestyle, and decided to share that with others, she said.
“We felt it was something we wanted to share with other first responders and their families because of the suicide rates and mental health illnesses that were on the rise,” said Benoit. “We decided to share the lifestyle we were taught and help others become more resilient in their lives.”
