We reached out to women in public safety leadership roles to discuss the challenges they’ve faced and provide advice for future leaders. In the coming months, APCO will highlight these interviews online and in our publications.
Jeryl Lynn Brown Anderson, Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator, Orange County Emergency Services
- 36 years in the public safety communications profession
- APCO member since 1995
- Currently serves as NC Chapter of APCO Education Advisory Member
- Currently serves on APCO International Standards Committee
How did you get your start in emergency communications?
Started working for Wilmington Police Department, located in Wilmington, NC, as a Police Cadet in 1984 with aspirations of becoming an officer. My mother was a telecommunicator for the agency, who back then had three (3) staff members in what we called the “radio room”. I worked the front desk as a police cadet, answering phones, assisting walk-ins, keeping up with the call volume from the center and other assigned duties.
When an opening came up in the center, my mother urged me to apply. I got the positon and caught the dispatching bug. This propelled me to apply to work for Durham Emergency Services in Durham, NC, in 1991. I started as a line telecommunicator and then became a Telecommunicator II – CTO. In this position, I taught in the new hire academies, wrote some of the training, maintained the CAD training manual and trained one-on-one in the communications center.
In 1998, I became the first African American female instructor to head the Telecommunicator Certification Training program for the NC Justice Academy under the umbrella of the NC Department of Justice. In this role, I was responsible for writing and then maintaining the curriculum (which still is in use) for the certification of all telecommunicators in the state of North Carolina, who work under the direction of a sheriff. I also created the topics (which changed annually) for the sixteen hours of mandatory in-service training for telecommunicators to maintain their certification. I worked at both campuses of the Academy and traveled to all 100 counties to train. I developed working relationships with our community colleges, and attended and spoke at conferences all over the state and country. I also served on numerous committees that concerned the training and advancement of the telecommunicators of North Carolina.
In 2009, I left the Academy to work full time for Orange County Emergency Services. I had worked for the agency since 2001 in a part-time capacity to maintain my skills as a line telecommunicator and to maintain my many certifications. I have served in my present position since 2013.
What are some of the obstacles you have overcome in this industry?
The main obstacle that I have overcome in this industry is getting the message out that training your staff and then doing in-service training is one of the most valuable investments that an agency can make in its staff. The job of a telecommunicator is multilayered and demands a level of focus, concentration, multi-tasking and sheer guts that is often overlooked. For so long, this job has been overlooked and undervalued across my state and the country. Many times, people are promoted into positions like supervisor or even CTO and have not been offered any training to prepare them to assume the role and the responsibilities that come with that new role. For all my career, the first line item in a budget to be raided, when funds are needed, is the training budget (if one exists) of communications. We must invest in our people; they are our most valuable resource, no matter how small or how large your agency is.
The other obstacle that I have helped to battle is the recognition that this profession deserves from our local, state and federal politicians and lawmakers. Those that serve in this field in the communications centers are not clerical workers or administrative assistants. They are telecommunicators who hold a unique set of skills and certifications that enable them to answer calls for service, determine a response, send a response and then give pre-arrival instructions, as needed, to save life and or property. This job is not for everyone and those that do it day in and day out deserve to be recognized as the true first responders that they are! To this end, I have attended many 9-1-1 Goes to Washington events and walked the hill to talk face-to-face with those that I have put in office to educate them on how important funding 9-1-1 is in each community and how classifying these positions correctly is long overdue.
How has your APCO membership helped you in your profession?
Being an APCO member has allowed me to grow professionally within my state and the 9-1-1 community and nationally, by giving me the space to participate on committees and speak my message on a national stage.
Serving within the NC Chapter of APCO has been rewarding. I have been on the Executive Board twice as President and would like to think that I have made valuable contributions to my chapter each time I served in that role. I have always been the training person for our chapter and I have garnered respect from many across our great state, and I am grateful and humbled by that. The chapter has gifted me lifetime membership for my dedicated service to the chapter and its mission for APCO.
Serving APCO International is a joy! I have been an Adjunct Instructor for the Institute for twenty years and I love it. I enjoy teaching and getting to do that live and online has been very gratifying to me. I have had the honor to serve on the following committees for APCO: Member and Chapter Services Committee 2016 – 2020, Professional Development Events Committee 2017 – 2020 and SDC Training Sub-Committee since 2019. This year, I was granted Senior Membership with APCO.
I am a proud RPL and CPE recipient. Both achievements challenged me and I learned a lot. Both experiences exposed me to a great group of professionals, whom I still have contact with and this widened the resources that are available to me.
How should women support other women in their agency?
Women should mirror the positive and encouraging energy that they would like to receive and experience from other women. Being kind and courteous is free. It does not compromise who you are to take an extra minute to say a kind word, smile or lend a hand to your coworker. Women must begin to see the value in good old-fashioned decency and kindness. Our work environment is stressful enough without the added baggage of strife and discontent being added into the mix.
Do you or did you have a mentor?
Early in my career, I did have a mentor. She taught me everything that she knew when I was brand new and then encouraged me to keep learning and keep striving to be the best in the field. Years later, I had the honor and privilege of her attending one of my classes at the NC Justice Academy as a student! She was ready to retire, but she was so proud of me and to see how much I had grown professionally over the years.
Can you give an example of exceptional leadership that you experienced? And how did that shape your leadership style?
One of the things that I like about my immediate supervisor and Director of our agency is that she consistently demonstrates a willingness to “take one for the team” in an effort to be the responsible one for the actions or inactions of herself and her subordinate staff. I try hard to do the same, for I truly believe that is what makes a great leader. Even when it is not your fault, you must accept full responsibility for the performance of the work unit, as the reading assignment explained.
In her own words, “Leadership is a journey that is built on every single facet of how we do things – how we complete tasks, how we approach our work – it is a self-discovery of knowing who we are. Leadership also means to me responsibility and accountability – it’s not about being “in front” – it’s about making sure your people follow you because they want to and not because they “have to.”
As the Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator for our agency, I am responsible for all hiring processes for five (5) divisions within our agency. This means I work closely with the HR office for the county in the posting, screening, testing, interviewing, background checks, etc. To accomplish these various tasks, I also work closely with the Division Manager for the area hiring. Sometimes this is more than a notion in itself, for I find myself waiting for feedback or information on how they want the process to go. Sometimes in the waiting period, it appears that I am standing still, when actually I am just stalled while I wait. Other times, I take the brunt of when things don’t go well in a process or there are steps missed or things not followed correctly. I am responsible even when it is someone else that has made a decision, or decided to do something against the rules. This happens a lot and I have adjusted to always being on the defense in the process of trying to get the best candidates to our agency for the position(s).
What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
No matter what the circumstances, or how it looks, remain your true and authentic self. Leadership is not about who is in charge, it’s about standing on your principles and your agency’s policies and procedures to make the hard decisions for the best action (s). Respect is not given, it’s earned, and this only happens when those being led see YOU mirroring the behavior and professional confidence, which you are trying to instill in them.
Self-care is critical to your spiritual, mental and emotional well-being. Make time for it. You can’t be an effective leader if you are run down and your tank is on empty.
What is the best thing to happen to you this week either at work or outside of it?
The best thing to happen to me this week, was to get a card from a member of a Facebook group called 911derWomen. In the card was a smaller card which said, “…I’ve got nothing to do today but smile.” Paul Simon
This made my day and made me smile! I immediately took a selfie with my gift and posted it with a huge smile. Sometimes, it’s the little things that give you the push you need to keep pressing forward.
Greatest career accomplishments
- Recipient of the Greg Moser Award from the NC Chapter of APCO in 2003 and 2013
- NC APCO Chapter President 2009 – 2010 and 2016 – 2017
- NC APCO Lifetime Membership 2017
- NC APCO Presidents Award 2018
- APCO International Senior Membership 2020
- APCO International RPL 2010
- APCO International CPE 2019
What inspires you?
I have strong faith. I truly believe that if I just trust in Him, that all things are possible. My mother used to say, “Nothing beats a failure, but a try.” And I believe that. A “no” is not final, it’s an opportunity to go back and regroup and rework your plan so that you can approach from a different angle. The joy comes when you conquer the hill and achieve the thing you have been striving for!
Where do you find yourself on a Saturday morning at 10 a.m.?
Now with COVID, I get to spend a lot more time with my husband and best friend. Our Saturday mornings include a lazy breakfast and then we venture out safely to run errands. If it’s my massage week, we go and get a massage. I am a strong believer in self-care and balance.
Before COVID, I usually always had a Girl Scout event (I lead four troops) or outing with my girls. Now we do everything virtually.
