Dispatcher Finds Rewards Behind the Scenes

• Name: Cheryl Henderson-Brill, 48, has been a dispatcher for the Montville Township Police force for over eighteen years. She beat out 55 other applicants for the dispatcher position when she applied for the township job.
• Position: “We are the first contact with the public,” Henderson-Brill explained about her roll as dispatcher. “When they call here for a police officer, or they call 911 for an ambulance or fire department, we are the first contact. We answer the phone. We send the officers. We send the first aid squad out. We send the fire department out.” In addition to being a full-time dispatcher for the Montville Police Department, Henderson-Brill has been a part time dispatcher in Sussex County for 21 years, and has also worked part-time in Mt. Olive for seven years.
• Lives in: Sparta is Henderson’s home. She has “been commuting to Morris County, or somewhere,” she said, for more than 30 years.
• Married: Henderson-Brill has been married for 10 years.
• Education: Being a dispatcher is Henderson-Brill’s second career. “I was a graphic designer for 13 years,” she said. She worked in a dark room developing special effect photos for marketing layouts. When the technology changed, she decided to become a dispatcher. She took the 911 course before the national emergency system was mandated statewide in NJ. She also took the Emergency Medical Dispatching [EMD] course, and is CPR certified. In addition, she holds an associate's degree in Criminal Justice, a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Thomas Edison State College, and is a certified EMT.      
• Volunteers: Henderson-Brill is a volunteer on the Montville Township First Aid Squad. Her father was a volunteer firefighter, so being on a squad helping the community is something she grew up with. She has been active on the Montville squad for more than 13 years. “As an employee of Montville Township, I am allowed to be an associate on the Montville Township First Aid Squad,” she explained. Henderson-Brill serves as the squad’s training officer, and is also a CPR instructor for the American Red Cross and American Heart Association. “I also was a 911 instructor at the academy for many, many years,” she added. “It’s fun. We have a fun family over there. It’s a great bunch of people. It’s a lot of work. I do a lot of CPR training over there, as well as over here. It’s been a good experience.”
• Most Rewarding: “It’s kind of hard to say,” explained Henderson-Brill, “because we are behind the scenes.” As a dispatcher, she does not actually meet those who call for assistance. She finds people don’t really remember the dispatcher’s role in handling an emergency. For her, the rewards come from within the department. “The most gratifying part is when we are called-in to help out.” When there’s an emergency, the dispatchers are called-in or asked to stay past their shift so that all available man power can be on the road.
• Most Difficult: “A lot of stress. There’s a lot of stress on the job. If a call goes bad, if somebody gets killed, that’s hard to deal with.” She acknowledges that “it takes the right type of person to do the job,” because of the stress.
• Favorite Thing about Montville Township: “This has been a great town to work for over the years. I’ve seen it grow, I’ve grown with it. I’ve worked with our officers. We’ve all grown up together with this job. It’s been a fantastic experience.”
• Want others to know about squad: “911 is evolving,” Henderson-Brill said. It will take some time, but eventually 911 will be upgraded in New Jersey. “The next generation of 911, which is what the nation is working on, will be able to handle texting, videos, and pictures of the scene. These are the changes coming down the line. It’s all internet based which takes money and new equipment and stuff, and that’s not something that’s happening too fast in the state.”
• Hobbies: Henderson-Brill enjoys photography and exploring wineries when she goes on vacation. “You would never go on some of the roads unless you were looking for a winery,” she said. “It’s a great way to see a state.”
• Philosophy:  “Any opportunity that comes your way, take a chance at it.” About seven years ago Henderson-Brill received a phone call from the Sussex County Republican Committee Chairman who asked her to get involved. She ran for county committee chairwoman for her district and won. She has been doing it for seven years and has had the opportunity to meet Senators, Congressmen, and the Lieutenant Governor. She has even been asked to introduce some of them “I never thought I’d be in that position, meeting all these politicians. It’s a whole other social circle that has opened up,” she said.

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