Carolyn Bassett

It’s commonly said that fate works in funny ways, and Carolyn Bassett, police communications specialist III for the Montgomery County Maryland Police Department, might agree with that. Bassett used to work as an operations manager for an airline that operated out of Las Vegas, and she arranged the schedules for pilots.

During the shocking and tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, when all flights were grounded, Bassett was working in her managerial role. Following the events, Bassett decided to change careers; she felt she wanted to engage in more meaningful work in which she could help people. Consequently, she applied for a position with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

In the meantime, her boyfriend, now husband, relocated for a job in the Washington Metropolitan region, and Bassett moved with him.. Upon arriving in the D.C. area, Bassett applied for the position of dispatcher in Howard, Anne Arundel and Montgomery counties—all in Maryland. “It was a little intimidating at first,” Bassett says.

She was hired by Montgomery County, and she went through both the in-house and academy training, where she learned about policies, standard operating procedures and what questions to ask. She was then placed on the floor with a trainer to take calls.

“I was intrigued by the computer technology that is available—just to be the voice. I’m not face to face with people,” she says. “Helping people over the phone is the comfort to me. I just take a deep breath and take control of the situation.”

Others have often told Bassett that she would be a good police officer because of her demeanor. She doesn’t get upset easily and keeps her cool—a valuable asset she learned from her mother.

In her role, Bassett is a good listener, adept at working with people and a skilled problem solver. She admits that, oftentimes, people call 9-1-1 for something that is not considered a bona fide emergency. However, she points out that it is important not to judge people. “I never want people to feel I’m judging them. We’re there to help them—no matter what,” she says.

As a trainer, she ensures that those who are out of the academy can interact with people appropriately on calls. She ensures they can use the guidelines taught in the classroom as well as intervening to ask appropriate questions.

Bassett believes it’s important to have a lot of empathy and be a patient person, but she admits patience has a limit. There is a fine line, she says, between being respectful and gaining control of the situation. In addition, communication skills are essential when the need arises to address and explain policy issues in a comprehensible manner.

Bassett says she must be flexible—particularly when it comes to work schedules. In her role, shift work is a given; when her shift falls on a holiday, she is working. Her husband is usually asleep when she arrives home from work.

The most stressful aspect of Bassett’s job, she reveals, is the radio. At various times she is unable to clearly hear what the officers are trying to tell her, or she may hear a person on the other end screaming while she is trying to discern the nature and substance of the call.

She recalls one particular situation in which a woman called from her house phone. There was an open line, and Bassett heard the woman, who was out of breath, screaming. The call was a home invasion. There were men in the woman’s home who were trying to rape the caller and rob her. “I felt helpless. It haunts me once in a while,” Bassett says. The men told the woman they would return if she called the police. When her shift was over, Bassett says her adrenalin was pumping, and she didn’t know the outcome of that particular call until the following day when her supervisor told her.

Another call that Bassett has never forgotten is one in which a smart little girl, approximately five or six years old, called and said her dad was sick and having seizures. Bassett stayed on the line with her until fire/EMS personnel arrived.

Bassett also worked a high profile incident that occurred on Sept.1, 2010. man appeared at the Discovery Channel waving a gun and had a device strapped to his body. Bassett was working with a trainee on the radio at the time. “I remember it like it was yesterday,” she says. There was a tremendous amount of radio activity occurring. She worked that event until the suspect was apprehended and in custody.

How does Bassett keep the realities of the job from getting her down? “Rarely do I ever leave the building and keep something in my mind. We all have an attitude that if you don’t do this job, you don’t understand,” she says. It is often easier for her to talk to a colleague she trusts about a situation rather than a family member because they genuinely understand, but sometimes she’ll talk to her husband or family about a newsworthy event.

When she arrives home from work, Bassett usually takes her dogs out for a walk. She has been active rescuing and fostering pugs and she currently has three dogs—Mickey, Isabella and Mitch. They keep her busy as well as entertained. In her down time, she watches television to get her mind off the events of her shift. In addition, Bassett enjoys cooking, baking, reading, gardening, golfing and doing outdoor activities. She also does yoga and Pilates and maintains that both activities help her focus and serve as effective tension relievers.

Bassett loves her job because she feels she’s making a difference and helping people solve their problems. She says she would “absolutely” do it all over again. “You really have to like what you’re doing when you’re in this industry,” she says.

It’s apparent Bassett not only embraces her job but also does it extremely well. She received the APCO “2011 911 Center Team of the Year” for her contribution in the Discovery Building event, as well as an in-house award from the Montgomery County Police Department for her work on that incident. In addition, she received another in-house training award for her work as a trainer. Undoubtedly, Ms. Bassett has demonstrated she is an exemplary public servant and she serves as a positive role model for dispatchers across the nation.