By Nikki Kallio | Photography by Hillary Schave
Walking into a huge auditorium full of applicants for the Dane County Public Safety Communications Center, Jennifer Foth didn’t have a lot of hope for becoming a 911 dispatcher.
“I thought, ‘There’s no way I’m going to get this job — there’s no way, there’s all these people,’” says Foth, who ended up ranking third out of about 300 applicants.
“My department took a big leap of faith and hired me at 19,” Foth says. “I literally could not imagine being or doing anything else. I love my job, and I’ll probably tell you that multiple times in this conversation. I love what I do.”
Since 1992, Foth has worked for the Dane County Public Safety Communications Center, and was named the 2023 First Responder of the Year for the 37th Assembly District by state Rep. William Penterman (R-Columbus) as well as Dispatcher of the Year from the Dane County Chiefs of Police.
Foth, now the most senior female in her department, says callers sometimes assume that male dispatchers are police officers and they “may get a little more cooperation from some difficult callers.” Frequently, Foth must calmly work through calls from people who are highly emotional or are experiencing mental health issues — which she and her colleagues have seen increase post-COVID. At the same time, Foth says she thrives on managing the complex situations.
“I’m always having to look four or five steps ahead,” she says. Foth has answered thousands of calls, has given lifesaving CPR directions, helped talk people out of committing suicide, helped deliver several babies and has managed police units during an armed standoff.
“I do everything I can to keep (officers) as safe as possible,” Foth says.
Outside of work, Foth cares for her father who has Alzheimer’s disease. On days off, she likes watching Netflix and crocheting. “That’s my way of coming down especially after a really busy workweek.” On occasion, Foth also travels, recently visiting the tranquil Sedona, Arizona.
Foth was initially inspired to pursue her role by the stepfather of a friend, a Madison police officer whom she looked up to.
“He was the coolest person I knew. … he really impacted my interest in being in law enforcement.”
Later, Foth’s father pointed out a classified ad in the newspaper for the dispatching role, which he suggested could be a stepping stone to becoming a police officer. While a health condition kept Foth out of the running for a law enforcement career, she quickly felt at home in her role.
“I work with the most amazing people. I love the people that work there — my absolute family.”
