Meet the Dispatcher: Travis Kelsey

I am Travis Kelsey. I am married and have an 8-year-old son. My wife is Shanelle, and my son is Kolton. They are my reason for everything I do. I love playing guitar, riding my Harley (I have a 2021 Road Glide Special) and spending time with my family.

I have been a dispatcher for approximately 8 years.

I have always been intrigued with the Fire Service. My late grandfather was a Chief for LA CITY Fire and hearing about what he did for a living always piqued my interest. I knew I wasn’t cut out to be a Fire Fighter, so I gave dispatch a try and I fell in love with it.

I really love Radio’s. Being a Command dispatcher is hands down the best part of my job. Especially, working Structure Fires! I love the intensity of listening to the radio channels and being able to accurately document everything the field is saying in real time!

This is a hard question for me. The most memorable calls I have taken are also the hardest for me to talk about. If I were to choose one specific call it would be a 2-year-old drowning patient. I received the call at approximately 1600 on a Sunday afternoon. I knew it was a bad call from the second I answered the phone and heard the mom screaming. I ascertained the address and figured out her 2-year-old daughter was found at the bottom of the pool. We worked together to get her out of the pool and start CPR. She happened to live in a more rural area of Phoenix where the response times was a little greater than most, so we were on the phone for a good while. I typically don’t ever get closure on difficult calls, but the baby made it and was expected to make a full recovery. It was at that moment where I knew I was supposed to be doing this job.

To let them know when the public calls 911 and we ask questions for a specific call type we as dispatchers aren’t just asking them to ask them. We have a protocol we must follow to ensure that the right type of help is being started.

It is important to remember that when dialing 911, to remain calm, know where you’re at or landmarks that can help us figure out where you MAY be and just be patient with us as we are asking our questions.