When Emily Ham picks up the phone inside the York County 911 Center, she never knows what’s happening on the other end.
“A lot of times when people call us, they’re calling on the worst day of their lives," said Ham, a 911 dispatcher for the York County Department of Emergency Services.
From the smallest emergencies, to the biggest, dispatchers like Emily are the first ones in line to help.
“It’s a calling," said Ted Czech, external affairs officer for the York County Office of Emergency Management. "You have to be called to it, you have to want to help people, you have to want to help better your community.”
It’s a big responsibility that can take an even bigger toll on the mental health of those behind the phone.