Sophie's story

"I wanted a role in a fast-paced environment where I felt I was genuinely helping people, so the emergency services felt like the perfect fit. After originally working in Police Control, I ventured to Fire Control for the experience. 

Working in both Control settings has given me a wide range of skills, and boosted my confidence drastically. I’m a reassurance to the person on the other end of the phone during a terrifying experience, and I like to treat my callers in a way that I would expect my family or friends to be treated in the same situation.

I don’t just answer 999 calls. I also send fire crews to incidents, communicate with officers at the scene via radio and have an extremely busy admin line to juggle. There are many incidents we have to deal with, but as an animal lover I find those particularly interesting. It’s such a good feeling when you’ve helped make a successful rescue.

The job can be stressful, but I make sure I wind down on my rest days and talk to my teammates about any incidents that trouble me. There’s a dedicated team of staff who help with mental health, which is amazing. But as stressful as the job can be, it’s incredibly rewarding and full of challenges. I love having a stimulating one, and I don’t think I could ever do a slower-paced one now!"