Photo: Missy681, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Who She Is
Jennifer Hoffman was working as a 911 dispatcher in Ogle County, Illinois, when a 5-year-old girl named Jaylee called because her mother had fallen unconscious. To find out where Jaylee lived, Hoffman asked gentle questions, like what color her house was, and helped her find the address on a piece of mail. When help arrived, responders found Jaylee feeding her little brother, and her mother was awake again. The Illinois Sheriffs' Association later named Hoffman its Telecommunicator of the Year, and Jaylee was honored alongside her at a 911 Heroes event.
Why She Matters
Jaylee did one of the most important things a child can do in an emergency: she called 911 and kept talking. Hoffman stayed calm and asked questions a 5-year-old could answer, which shows how dispatchers adjust their words to the person on the line. Together, they got help to the right house. Hoffman said the best result of the whole story was how many people started teaching their kids exactly what to do if they ever need to call 911. One calm conversation helped a family get help, and a 5-year-old was honored as a 911 hero.
