BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A Brevard County woman is following in her father’s footsteps, serving the community as a police dispatcher.

Victoria Emory, 22, said it has been a journey to work her dream job in the wake of tragedy.

“I think I’m the most excited about being able to serve the community, and just continue to be a legacy at this agency, and for my dad,” she said.

Her father, Donald Emory, served as a firefighter and fire chief in New Jersey and South Carolina for decades and wound up even further south, serving as a dispatcher for the Indialantic Police Department.

Victoria Emory said he was her inspiration.

“I would come in, just be around, chat with the cops. He was doing firefighting all his life, and dispatching, so it’s all I’ve ever known,” she said.

Donald Emory died unexpectedly from complications in a surgery in 2020.

She found him unresponsive and was the one who called 9-1-1.

While tragic, it inspired Victoria, who was 16 at the time, to become a dispatcher.

“Almost immediately Victoria reached out and wanted to start working here and pick up where he left off, but at the time she was too young, or we didn’t have any openings. So, everything now has lined up, and we are very proud to bring Victoria on. And I know her father would be very proud she is continuing that legacy,” Indialantic Police Chief Mike Connor said.

Every shift, Victoria Emory gets to see the tribute to her dad. A plaque with his ID number displayed above the dispatch room door and a wreath honoring law enforcement made by her mother hangs in the hallway.

Indialantic is a small department and, most times, dispatchers like Victoria Emory are solo during a shift.

But overall, the demand for dispatchers is great according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with some 10,000 openings a year, and jobs projected to grow 3% from now until 2032.

Victoria Emory knows this is the role for her. One she can do well to honor her father’s legacy.

“His mantra was, make sure at the end of your shift, everyone goes home safe to their families,” she said.

Victoria Emory will soon be a certified dispatcher once she’s through with training.