KENOSHA, Wis. — A local Masonic organization has donated $1,000 to Kenosha Joint Services to help support the mental health of the county’s 911 dispatchers, recognizing the emotional toll emergency communications personnel face on a daily basis.

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Members of Kenosha Prince Hall Masons Joppa Lodge No. 9 recently presented the donation to Joint Services officials. The funds will be used to enhance the agency’s “quiet room,” a space where dispatchers can decompress following traumatic or emotionally difficult calls.

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“This is more than a monetary donation,” Joppa Lodge No. 9 leader Duke B. Montgomery III said during the presentation. “This is a recognition — a recognition to say that the work that you do is meaningful, and we see you. Your mental well-being is important, and we see you.”

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Joint Services Communications Manager Nikki Beranis said the donation arrives at a particularly meaningful time. She noted that seven dispatcher suicides and one on-duty dispatcher death have been documented nationwide so far this year.

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“Mental health for dispatchers has always kind of been on the back burner,” Beranis said. “And this is going to help significantly to bring that forward and continue these conversations on peer support and support for our dispatchers.”

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Montgomery said the idea for the donation stemmed from his longtime friendship with Ursula Swift, a Joint Services dispatcher who has served the community for 28 years. He said hearing about the difficult calls dispatchers handle every day left a lasting impression on him.

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“Over the years, seeing my good friend deal with the weight and the trauma of some of the calls that she has heard through her headset really resonated and sat on my heart,” Montgomery said.

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After discussing ways to make a meaningful impact, lodge members decided to direct their efforts toward supporting dispatcher wellness. Montgomery said the organization hopes the contribution will be the first of many.

The donation was formally presented during a brief ceremony in the lobby of the Public Safety Building, followed by a tour of the county’s 911 communications center.

Joint Services Director Josh Nielsen said the agency appreciates the support and expects the donation to make a meaningful difference for employees who routinely handle emergencies behind the scenes.

“It can be very mentally draining, and there are a lot of things that we do behind the scenes to try to provide services to them,” Nielsen said. “So I think these funds that they’re providing to us are going to go a long way in that direction.”

City Administrator John Morrissey and other Joint Services Board members attended the event and thanked the Masons for their support.

Joint Services is an independent agency that provides 911 dispatching, records management, evidence services, fleet maintenance and other support functions for the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office, Kenosha Police Department, and fire and rescue agencies throughout Kenosha County.

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