Miranda Rosso had a string of good news earlier this year. You might wonder what could top a trip to Hawaii? Well, how about hearing while you’re vacationing in Hawaii that you’re receiving the Dispatcher of the Year award at NAVIGATOR 2024?
“I was mostly just shocked because I’m so early on in my career,” she said. “I never would have expected to be honored like this.”
In Washington, D.C., during the Opening Session of the conference in April, Rosso, emergency communications specialist for Jeffcom 911 in Lakewood, Colorado (USA), was recognized in front of a huge crowd of her peers.
The nomination from Michael Brewer, Deputy Director with Jeffcom 911, talks about the breadth of Rosso’s experience in the profession after being hired by Jeffcom in January 2023, including a call she handled in April 2023 that involved three people: a woman calling for help on behalf of a man driving a skid steer on her property as he and his father were working. The son became trapped by a tree that came through the skid steer he was operating and pinned his chest.
According to the nomination: “Miranda ensured the father of the patient was not putting himself in danger and displayed the appropriate level of assertiveness without being aggressive. This was a difficult call for even the most experienced calltaker; however, Miranda went above and beyond to do everything she could to assist while maintaining a level of professionalism and compassion that was remarkable.”
Before presenting the award at NAVIGATOR, the Academy played a portion of the nearly 16-minute call that required calming the caller, providing instructions, and offering reassurance as Rosso stayed on the phone until help arrived. Rosso, a week away from being signed off from training, handled the call with aplomb using her training and the Fire Priority Dispatch System™ (FPDS®). At the end of the clip, Rosso was given a standing ovation as she walked on stage to accept the award.
“Thank you so much,” she said. “It’s emotional listening back to this call. I want to thank every one of my trainers and instructors at Jeffcom. It’s a pleasure to work there, and I’m honored.”
Speaking later about the call, Rosso believes this may be a career defining one. Rosso was glad the caller was able to calm down and act on the instructions she provided before responders arrived.
“That was probably the only call I will ever take like that in my career,” she said. “It’s rewarding to be able to be calm when other people typically can’t stay calm.”
Jessica Hapgood, QA specialist with Jeffcom 911, recognizes Rosso’s ability to stay calm.
“This was a chaotic call, and she handled it with grace,” Hapgood said.
Hapgood was quick to mention that Rosso had a CPR save and a choking save well before hitting her one-year anniversary as well as high compliance scores. Rosso has embraced this job.
“She just got it,” Hapgood said. “She’s always trying to improve.”
Brewer echoed this sentiment in the nomination letter.
“During the new-hire academy, she was already starting to receive recognition from an agency we serve for how she engaged during a ride-along … Miranda absolutely shines in emergency dispatch and has recently become a CTO to help others shine as well.”
Rosso’s humble attitude is apparent when she talks about being named Dispatcher of the Year and her job. After completing her sociology degree, Rosso thought about investigating the police academy. Her stepfather encouraged her to find out more about emergency dispatch first. The call highlighted at NAVIGATOR proved to be an early confirmation that Rosso chose the profession she now loves and excels at.
“I love working with police and fire because I really respect what they do,” she said. “I totally feel like it was meant to be. I love my job.”
