Behind the Badge-Jackie Badman-The Calm Behind the Call

Our team doesn’t just talk the talk; they’ve walked the walk. The ‘Behind The Badge’ blog series interviews Utility’s team and discusses their experience in Public Safety. This week, we’ll spotlight Jackie Badman‘s story.

“They were family, and my job was to get them home at the end of their shift.”

For more than 20 years, Jackie Badman was the voice officers counted on—dispatching with calm, precision, and compassion. From her beginnings in EMS to her leadership as Chief Dispatcher, Jackie shaped operations and supported responders during their most critical moments.

Jackie recently sat down with Utility’s blog editor to share her Behind the Badge story—reflecting on the pivotal moments of her career, the lessons she learned in leadership, and how she continues to support public safety agencies through her work today.

Grounded in Service, Built by Experience

“I’ve spent my whole life in the western suburbs of Philadelphia and got my start as a first responder over 25 years ago as a volunteer firefighter and EMT,” Jackie shares. “During that time, I served as EMS 2nd and 1st Lieutenant, then Captain. Career-wise, I’ve spent most of it in police dispatching.”

Her career began at the county 911 center, eventually progressing to in-house roles at a borough police department and, finally, a municipal PD—where she became Chief Dispatcher, TAC Officer, and coach to all new employees. “More recently, I’ve shifted my career path to SaaS sales for the public sector,” she adds, “where I still get to interact with first responders.”

When she’s not helping agencies improve transparency and response, Jackie enjoys her side career as a Realtor, spending time with her partner, and wrangling their rescue German Shepherd, Diesel—“a good boy mix who keeps us on our toes 24/7!”

From the Firehouse to the Console

Jackie’s path into dispatching came naturally. “Within my first two years in the fire service, I got to know dispatchers at our County 911 center, which led me to explore that career path,” she explains. “I began training as a 911 call taker in 2001, and after one year, I had the ability to move up to police dispatching.”

Her original goal was to join the fireboard, but as she jokes, “The fire dispatchers tend to have seniority and retire from there… so, police radio it was!” The moment she started, she knew it was the right fit. “It felt quite natural,” she recalls. “Once I began dispatching on my own, it didn’t take long for me to develop an unconditional caring for my officers throughout the county.”

That connection deepened when she became an in-house dispatcher. “I worked next to them each day. I got to know their wives, their kids—I went to their homes for holidays, birthday parties, etc. They were family.

The Calls That Stick with You

Some moments in public safety leave a lasting mark. For Jackie, a few calls stand out vividly. “One highlight was working a high-profile homicide and fielding hundreds of tips over the phone from all over the country in a short time span,” she says. “Another was a typical weekday afternoon when I answered the phone at the PD. The male on the other end stated very calmly, ‘I just killed my brother.’ Sure enough, he did.”

Lessons in Leadership

As Chief Dispatcher, Jackie embraced leadership not just in policy and procedure, but in how she showed up for her people. “Some of the most valuable lessons came during my time as a chief dispatcher,” she reflects. “Take time to get to know your people. Spend the extra few minutes with them at shift change and ask how they’re doing—engage with them.” She adds, “Many aspects of public safety are thankless, but you can ensure that your employees always know they’re valued. People will go the extra mile for leaders that would do the same for them.”

Having led through high-stakes incidents and supported officers in their most vulnerable moments, Jackie understands that leadership doesn’t stop at the shift change—it extends into how agencies represent themselves to the communities they serve.

Transparency Isn’t Optional

To Jackie, transparency isn’t just a best practice—it’s essential. “Transparency is everything,” she says. “And when it comes to public safety, it’s not negotiable. The community deserves transparency; just as importantly, LEOs deserve transparency too.”

She believes tools like body cameras are more important than ever. “These days, there are too many people out to paint law enforcement in a bad light. Thanks to social media, misinformation spreads like wildfire. Wearing a Body Camera helps portray the events that actually occurred and can aid in stopping misinformation dead in its tracks.”

Technology That Matters in the Moment

Over the course of her career, Jackie has seen the evolution of technology—from CAD upgrades to more sophisticated tools like License Plate Recognition (LPR). “I’ve witnessed changes in CAD systems, radio systems, phones, etc. I’ve seen the unveiling of numerous tools, many that now, LEOs (and dispatchers) can’t picture living without,” she says.

“One of my go-to tools while dispatching is the LPR system. Our LPRs come into play on a regular basis and have led to a number of apprehensions—not just for crimes that occurred in our township, but neighboring jurisdictions as well. I can even recall our LPRs being valuable in a stalking case.”

Advice to Agencies Evaluating Body Camera Solutions

When agencies are considering body camera technology, Jackie encourages them to look deeper than price.

“While evaluating options, there’s more to consider besides the price tag,” she explains. “Ask yourself: ‘If one of my officers goes down during a shift—whether medical related or otherwise—how fast can it be determined that there is an emergency, and how rapidly can backup be alerted and deployed to an accurate location?’”

“You owe it to your staff to explore all angles. You can’t put a price tag on ensuring your officers make it home safely.”

From Behind the Mic to Behind the Mission

Today, Jackie continues to serve. At Utility, she brings her frontline experience to life—helping public safety agencies choose the right technology for their mission. Whether she’s advising leadership on transparency, tech, or operations, her mindset is the same as it was on day one: care for those who serve, support the team, and help them get home.

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