Weber Emergency Worker Wins Utah Dispatcher of the Year Award | News, Sports, Jobs

Ashton Orchard’s mother says she wondered if her daughter would be successful as an emergency dispatcher.

“I’m going to be honest, I didn’t think she would be able to do it,” Lesha Spencer said. “She always wore her feelings on the surface of her skin. We always used to think, “If the wind blows, Ashton cries. “

Orchard said she had her own doubts. “I was a little nervous doing it,” she said. “But it gets a little easier.”

The concerns of mother and daughter seemed to have been unfounded. On Wednesday, Orchard was named Utah Emergency Dispatcher of the Year.

The Utah Office of Emergency Medical Services presented annual awards to first responders and dispatchers in Draper, honoring recipients for dedicating their lives to helping others in an emergency. The office is collecting applications for workers “whose accomplishments stand out as going beyond the call of duty,” the agency’s announcement said.

Orchard, 27, from Ogden, a graduate of Weber High School and now living in Brigham City, has been a dispatcher for three years at Weber Area Dispatch 911 and the Emergency Services District.

She thanks her mother for raising her well as a single mother. Spencer said she was 17 when Ashton was born.

“Our whole family is just super proud of her,” Spencer said. “She’s always been that kid who did what she was told to do and what she was supposed to do, and sometimes I thought maybe I did it on fault.”

But now Spencer said, “That’s not what I got. My boy, she’s changed a lot. Her daughter is assertive and works hard.

Spencer said a friend told her she got a background check call when Orchard applied for the dispatcher job. The friend burst out laughing when the controller asked if Orchard was reliable. That’s one of his strengths, Spencer said on Wednesday afternoon.

At the Weber dispatch center in Ogden, all dispatchers are cross-trained so that each can respond to emergency calls, dispatch firefighters and police, and be able to assist each other in complex and rapid situations.

Audiences got a glimpse of this on the ABC reality show “Emergency,” where the Weber team, sometimes including Orchard, was featured on several occasions.

“You’re approaching it because it’s hard work,” Orchard said. “You have to rely on the people you work with, with the tough calls we have to take. “

A dispatcher handles so many calls, sometimes 30 or 40 per shift, that it’s hard to point out some that are more memorable than others, Orchard said. “But it’s always rewarding to have someone call to say their loved one isn’t breathing and that you are giving them CPR and that ends up making a difference,” she said.

Tina Mathieu, executive director of the dispatch district, said Orchard has been promoted to dispatcher II, which includes responsibility for training others.

“Ashton has just been a fantastic employee,” said Mathieu. “She does a phenomenal job and is always one step ahead of what needs to be done.”

Mathieu added: “She is also pleasant and has a very good positive attitude, which is important in the work that we do.”

Orchard said it’s vital for a dispatcher to have outdoor hobbies and activities. His included “hanging out with the family” and reading.

She said her fiancé, Ogden City forestry worker Reuben Robinson, supports her career and, “when I’ve had a hard day he’s there when I need him.”

She said her mother “has always been a great role model for me. She had things that she might not have had the opportunity to do, but she made sure that I always had the opportunity to do things that I loved, like sports.

Orchard said she always wanted to be a police officer and interned at the Weber County Sheriff’s Office. She became intrigued by the dispatch work, so when there was a position she decided to apply.

“I am passionate about it and it is extremely rewarding,” she said. “It confirms that I am doing what I have to do. “

Bulletin

Join the thousands of people who already receive our daily newsletter.