Katherine Rogers didn’t enter public safety as a stepping stone to something else. From the very beginning, she knew exactly where she wanted to be: behind the headset.
Originally from Southern California and now living in Nashville, Tennessee, Rogers began her dispatch career in September 2021. Nearly four and a half years later, she serves in an administrative training role at a medium-to-large consolidated communications center. Outside of work, she is a proud mom to a spirited 9-month-old daughter, with another baby girl on the way.
A Calling to Be the Calm
Rogers didn’t grow up planning a career in 9-1-1, but life experiences shaped her path. After losing her grandfather to a degenerative condition, she was deeply impacted by the hospice nurse who walked alongside her family during that difficult time.
“It became apparent to me that there are people in this world who are made to walk alongside individuals going through hard times,” she says. “I thrive in chaos, and I wanted to be the calm in someone else’s horrible day.” With no desire to enter the medical field directly, dispatch became the perfect fit, a profession that allowed her to combine resilience under pressure with compassion for people in crisis.
From the Floor to Administration
Rogers began her career simply searching for dispatch positions near home, admittedly unsure what to look for in a communications center. She landed at one of the top agencies in her region, a fortunate start that set the tone for her career.
Today, her “typical” day looks very different from her early call-taking shifts. In her administrative training role, she evaluates phone calls and radio traffic, checks in with Communications Training Officers (CTOs) and trainees, creates training materials and participates in meetings. She is currently helping restructure the agency’s call-taking training program into a week-by-week format, developing a comprehensive manual to support the rollout.
Still, no matter how her responsibilities evolve, the floor remains home. “Even though I’m in an admin position now, I still love getting out on the floor to call take and dispatch. It allows me to reset.”
The Retention Challenge: Getting the Right People
Like many centers nationwide, Rogers sees recruitment and retention as ongoing challenges. But she frames the issue carefully. “It’s not that too few people are entering the profession, it’s that there are too few of the right people,” she explains.
She believes short-term turnover often stems from applicants not fully understanding the demands of the job. Long-term attrition, however, is frequently tied to schedule strain, chronic stress and toxic workplace culture. Her solution? Intentional development and trust.
Rogers advocates for:
- Clear growth milestones and structured career paths
- Opportunities for cross-training and leadership development
- Access to conferences and out-of-center training
- Modern software and technology
- Meaningful use of PTO
- A culture built on trust rather than restriction
Developing the Next Generation
As one of only two administrators in her training division, Rogers plays a direct role in shaping new professionals. She believes growth starts on day one. “The best thing an employer can do is look at every employee as someone they want to train to take their job someday.”
She emphasizes celebrating milestones, whether completing phases of call-taking training, cross-training on additional disciplines or stepping into roles such as CTO or Officer in Charge (OIC). Clear timelines, defined tracks and hands-on mentorship create a sense of direction and purpose.
She also works to bridge generational divides within the center. Navigating “old heads” and entrenched negativity has been one of her biggest challenges as a young leader. Learning to lead with softness and grace, rather than reaction, has been a defining growth experience.
What Young Professionals Bring
Rogers believes young professionals contribute far more than energy. They bring:
- Technological fluency
- Fresh perspectives
- Empathy and emotional awareness
- A willingness to innovate
At her center, rapid software adoption and the introduction of AI-assisted quality assurance tools have already transformed operations. Rogers expects artificial intelligence to play an increasing role in the coming years but remains hopeful that technology will enhance, not replace, the human connection at the heart of emergency communications. “Hopefully it will help larger centers without taking away from the human connection that so many of our callers need.”
Advice to New Dispatchers
Rogers offers simple but powerful advice for newcomers. “Be gentle with yourself. It’s a hard job that takes time to become proficient in. It takes most people up to two years before they are fully confident.”
She encourages new dispatchers to ask questions while also developing critical thinking skills, using each answer as a learning opportunity rather than a shortcut.
A Message to the Industry
If she had one message for the profession, it would be this. “What we are doing matters. You matter. Don’t let unkind people or stressful days make you callous. The world needs more softness and connection right now.” In an industry defined by urgency, Rogers champions intentionality. In a culture often hardened by exposure to trauma, she advocates for compassion. And in a profession built on responding to chaos, she remains committed to being the calm.
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