Abigail Chupp, a dispatcher at Notre Dame’s Communications Center, has been on the job for just over a year, but her skills are already making an impression. Learn more about her journey into the role and what it's like to be the calm voice in the storm.
Like many who enter public safety, Abigail’s end goal was, and still is, to be a police officer. She studied Criminal Justice and Psychology at Grace College. However, a year spent in a steady sales job left her searching for a career where she could apply her training, and could broaden her knowledge about the different career paths within public safety.
The role of a dispatcher, which she discovered on the Notre Dame careers page, instantly clicked. "My training... had prepared me perfectly for this essential support role," Abigail shared. "The position requires the ability to quickly assess situations, maintain calm under pressure, and employ the critical thinking I honed in college. In many ways, dispatching found me."
Getting the job was a personal triumph as well, driven by a deep, lifelong connection to the University. October 1st marked her first-year anniversary.
What drives Abigail to face high-stress scenarios shift after shift? For her, it’s a profound sense of empathy for students.
"What keeps me coming back is my understanding of how stressful college can be," she explained. From a First Year’s first time away from home to a senior’s anxiety about leaving their second home, she recognizes the constant state of transition the students are in.
"I want to be there for these students, ready to help in any way I can, because I understand the life they are living," Abigail emphasized. "If one student walks away feeling safer, then the burden that comes with the job has been worth it."
Dispatchers handle intense situations without being physically present, a challenging, constant mental hurdle.
When a high-stress call comes in, the entire room is instantly alert. The first and most crucial piece of information they need is simple: location, location, location.
"Once we have that, we can all take a breath, and you can tell us everything else that's happening," she advised. A high-stress call is managed by the call taker repeating key details back to the caller, which instantly alerts the police dispatcher who can then send help before the information is even logged into the computer.
What is the biggest misconception about a dispatcher's job? It's that they are merely "switchboard operators" who relay a message and hang up.
"The reality is that the Communications Center is the central operational command and control hub for the entire campus safety division," Abigail explained.
Finally, she offered the campus a single, simple instruction that could make all the difference: Be Present.
"This is a community, we look out for each other. Try and break the habit of walking around campus glued to your phone," she requested. "Keep your eyes up and aware of your surroundings. If you see something, say something."
Originally published by at police.nd.edu on October 23, 2025.