Paula Kershner

For the last 26 years, Paula Kershner has worked for the Arlington County (Va.) Office of Emergency Management, and for the last 13 years she has served as a Shift Supervisor. Prior to being promoted to the supervisory level, she was involved in calltaking, dispatching and training. Serving as a dispatcher was one of her favorite roles.

Kershner manages the day-to-day operations and shares a shift with another supervisor. She directly supervises eight employees who are calltakers and dispatchers. Her role is to ensure that things are done correctly and that the needs of employees as well as those of the public are met. Her biggest challenge is to keep the employees happy while fulfilling the needs of the center. “I have to do what is best for the center first. I have a great group of people who work for me. We work it out,” Kershner says.

She explains that when someone begins a career in her department, the individual starts out training as a calltaker for 2–3 months and then moves on to police and fire dispatch training that can last 4–5 months and may be extended if necessary.

Kershner says there is a need for flexibility in these roles, because there is no set way to do any one task. In addition, she says that you have to be a diplomat as well as have excellent problem-solving skills. She acknowledges that a lot of the job is reactive but, from a larger standpoint, an employee does not deal with one individual call but has a center full of a variety of calls to deal with.

Kershner says that people who work in the center have different backgrounds and experiences, and they all learn differently. “Consequently, the goal is to have well-trained employees,” she says. Kershner believes the essential skills for a dispatcher include good communication and listening skills, the ability to multi-task, the ability to be compassionate and empathetic and a total desire to want to help people. Dispatchers must also possess a sense of humor, which she feels is essential. “Age is not a defining quality. It is a mindset. It is a work ethic. It is a desire to have a dedication to the job, and it is a job you need to make a commitment to,” she says.

Undoubtedly, Kershner’s job can be stressful. She is savvy enough to know not to take things personally. If she is dealing with something that is seemingly overwhelming, she copes by listening to music and focusing on the job. “Push it to the side for a moment. Don’t let it out at work. Stay focused to do the best job possible. Take a break or get help,” Kershner says.

Kershner feels it is important for dispatchers to ride along with the police. She also believes it is wise for new police officers to do a sit-along with dispatchers. “It has been very beneficial with a lot of understanding,” she says.

Kershner has received several internal awards, including Positive Attitude (2005), Commitment to Professionalism (2001), Initiative (1999 & 2002) and Teamwork (2007). The Teamwork award was for two incidents: a hostage situation, and an abduction in which the victim was tracked south into North Carolina where an apprehension was made. She received a Meritorious Action Award in 1995 when she was the dispatcher for an active shooter incident, and she received the Principles of Government Service Award for Teamwork in 2001.

Kershner is an active APCO member, and that membership provides her the opportunity to, as she says, “recharge her battery.” She adds, “I’m raring to go.”

The calls she would dread the most when she was on the air were those in which police officers were injured. When she would dispatch officers out on a high-priority call and she heard only silence over the radio, she says, “You were on edge of your seat with no idea of what was going on.”

Originally from Greensburg, Pa., Kershner currently resides in West Virginia. She is married with one daughter, age 20. Kershner’s hobbies include reading suspense thrillers, watching movies, listening to music, making jewelry and cooking. Her friendships consist of those who mostly work in the same field.

Looking back over her career, Kershner has no regrets. “It is s a completely unique job. You’re always learning something. It is always changing. You have no choice but to grow with the industry. What I know now, I certainly didn’t know 26 years ago” she says. To those who are thinking about dispatching as a career, Kershner’s advice is: “Do it.”

Karen L. Bune serves as an adjunct professor at George Mason University and Marymount University in Virginia, and she is a consultant for the Training and Technical Assistance Center for the Office for Victims of Crime and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice. She is a nationally recognized speaker and trainer on public safety issues. Bune is Board Certified in Traumatic Stress and Domestic Violence, and she is a Fellow of The Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and the National Center for Crisis Management. She serves on the Institutional Review Board of The Police Foundation, Washington, D.C.