For some people, going above and beyond is something they do when an extraordinary situation demands it. For Jaclyn Higgins, it is simply how she approaches the job.
The 2026 PSAPs’ Finest Above & Beyond Award recognizes Jaclyn, Public Safety Dispatcher with the University of California, Irvine Police Department in Irvine, California, for the vigilance, resourcefulness, and initiative she brings to protecting her campus community.
Since joining UCIPD in 2022, Jaclyn has consistently looked beyond the immediate task in front of her to determine what more she can do to help. Her skilled use of campus camera systems has assisted officers in locating suspects in more than a dozen theft cases. She also uncovered critical information during a welfare check involving concerns about self-harm.
In another case, Jaclyn carefully reviewed video footage connected to a harassment report. Later, while off duty, she recognized the individual on campus and immediately notified dispatch. Her actions helped officers make contact and document information that ultimately became important to a serious investigation.
Jaclyn’s initiative extends to her colleagues and the operation of the communications center as well. She creates training resources, mentors a future dispatcher, identifies ways to improve center operations, and regularly trades shifts to support her coworkers.
Her work shows how much one person can contribute by remaining alert, thinking creatively, and never assuming that the limits of a job description are the limits of what can be done.
To learn more about Jaclyn’s unexpected path into emergency communications and what inspires her to keep finding new ways to help, we spoke with her about her career.
What attracted you to a career in public safety/911 emergency communications?Jaclyn: My older sister, Michelle! She is an LA County Sheriff’s Deputy and mentioned that one of her friends was applying for dispatch. After convincing me that the job was not at all like the movie
The Call with Halle Berry, I applied. I will be forever thankful to my sister for talking some sense into me—and forever fighting Hollywood’s depiction of 911 dispatch.
What is your most memorable career experience?Jaclyn: Going to my first CalNENA conference was very memorable. At my first agency, dispatchers weren’t sent to any conferences, so I wasn’t aware that other agencies regularly convened to learn, train, and network at events like this. I felt like I had been living under a rock!
What do you most love about what you do?Jaclyn: The satisfaction of knowing that I did my best and am working with the best. There is no better feeling than coming into a shift knowing I have partners I can rely on, a sergeant and patrol officers who are giving their all on every call, and confidence that whatever the next phone call brings, we are going to figure it out and handle it together.
What advice would you have for others thinking about a similar career path?Jaclyn: Keep an open mind. If you know this is what you want to do, go for it, but chances are there will be big bumps in your road to success. Don’t let the attitudes of others bring you down or sway your determination, and that includes family, friends, supervisors, dispatchers, officers, callers, and the public. You might get all the way through training and off probation and decide that department is just not the right one for you. Great! It’s better to come to that realization early rather than later. Do what is best for you.
What does it mean to be recognized with a PSAPs’ Finest Award?Jaclyn: It means being recognized as more than the voice on the other side of the radio or phone. It means my need to assist both the officers and the public in any way I can does not go unnoticed. It means I made the right decision in coming to UCIPD, where more resources allow me to assist in more unique ways. Mostly, it means I have the best supervisor, Pauline, who takes the time to make sure her dispatchers feel appreciated and cared for in every way possible.
About the PSAPs’ Finest Awards
PSAPs’ Finest is an annual recognition program honoring excellence in emergency communications centers (ECCs). The awards celebrate individual and team achievements each year across categories including Lifetime Achievement, Above & Beyond, Communications Center Director/Manager, Line Supervisor, Technician, Trainer, Telecommunicator, Innovator, and PSAP of the Year.
More information can be found at:
https://www.nicepublicsafety.com/psaps-finest-awards
