From “Suck It Up, Buttercup” to Just Culture: Emotional Intelligence in 911 Leadership

For decades, the culture inside many 911 centers could be summed up in a few words: cover your ass. Mistakes were something to hide, not learn from. Quality assurance often felt like a hunt for errors, and leadership environments were shaped by fear—fear of discipline, fear of liability, and fear of being the one who messed up.

But that model is broken.

Today’s 911 leaders are facing a different reality, one where emotional intelligence and just culture are no longer “nice to have,” but mission-critical. High call volumes, workforce shortages, generational shifts, and the mental toll of the job demand a new approach to leadership.

Andrew Dameron, Director of Denver 911, is one of the leaders helping drive that shift. With over a decade in public safety communications, he brings a modern perspective shaped by both experience and a willingness to challenge legacy thinking. He sat down for our latest episode of Level Up with Tipi to discuss his approach, a blend of emotional intelligence with systems-based accountability, redefining what leadership looks like in a comm center. 

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Emotional Intelligence When “The Room Is Screaming”

In a 911 center, chaos is not occasional—it’s constant. The room can go from calm to critical in seconds. And in those moments, leadership presence matters more than ever.

Emotional intelligence in this environment starts with regulation.

Dispatchers and call takers are often naturally skilled at focusing under pressure, but for leaders, the challenge is different. It’s about becoming the emotional anchor for the room. As Dameron notes, leaders must find their “internal zero”—that grounded state where they can respond rather than react.

Why? Because mood is contagious.

When leaders escalate emotionally, the room follows. When leaders stay calm, focused, and steady, that energy spreads just as quickly. In high-frequency critical incidents, emotional regulation isn’t just personal—it’s operational.

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Authenticity vs. Stoicism: What Staff Really Need

The old leadership mindset was clear: never let them see you sweat.

Frustration, doubt, or vulnerability were seen as weaknesses. Leaders were expected to project constant control and certainty.

But that model is evolving.

Dameron challenges the idea that leaders must always appear unshakable. Instead, he advocates for appropriate authenticity—being honest, transparent, and human with your team.

This doesn’t mean venting or undermining leadership structures. There are guardrails. But when done right, vulnerability builds trust.

When staff see that their leaders are real people who experience pressure, process challenges, and still show up grounded. It creates a culture of connection and collaboration. It tells employees: you’re allowed to be human here, too.

And in a profession where emotional suppression has long been the norm, that shift is powerful.

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Permission to Fail: The Foundation of Just Culture

One of the biggest barriers to progress in 911 is fear.

Fear of discipline. Fear of write-ups. Fear of being the next example.

In a CYA-driven culture, mistakes are treated as personal failures rather than system breakdowns. The result? Disengagement, silence, and missed opportunities to learn.

Dameron points to a critical missing element: permission to fail.

Without it, employees don’t take initiative. They don’t report errors. They don’t grow.

But when leaders create an environment where mistakes—absent malicious intent—are treated as learning opportunities, everything changes. Engagement increases. Communication improves. And performance evolves.

Just culture starts here.

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Learning from Healthcare’s Model of Just Culture

Healthcare offers a powerful blueprint.

In high-stakes environments where mistakes can mean life or death, leading healthcare systems have adopted a just culture approach. Instead of asking, “Who messed up?” they ask, “What led to this outcome?”

Dameron shares how this model works in practice:

• Every incident is reviewed in context
• External factors are considered (fatigue, workload, environment)
• Systems—not just individuals—are evaluated
• Discipline is reserved for willful, malicious violations

This is where the Swiss cheese model comes into play. Organizations are made up of layers—policies, training, processes—each with potential gaps. When those gaps align, errors occur.

The goal isn’t to eliminate human error. It’s to close the organizational gaps that allow it to cause harm.

And perhaps most importantly, just culture creates psychological safety. In healthcare, employees are encouraged to self-report mistakes because they know the goal is improvement—not punishment.

911 is ready for that same shift.

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Reimagining QA in 911

Traditional QA in 911 often focuses on catching mistakes—“finding the bad eggs.”

But that mindset limits its impact.

In a just culture model, QA becomes a tool for continuous improvement. Instead of isolating individual errors, leaders analyze trends:

• Are multiple people struggling with the same protocol?
• Is training outdated or unclear?
• Are workflows creating unnecessary friction?

When QA data is used to answer these questions, it transforms from a punitive process into a strategic one.

Even more importantly, it encourages self-reporting.

When employees trust that QA is about improving the system—not punishing the individual—they’re far more likely to speak up when something goes wrong. And that’s where real learning happens.

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How Comms Coach Supports a Just Culture

Tools matter, but how you use them matters more.

Comms Coach helps shift QA from individual blame to organizational performance. Instead of focusing on a single call or dispatcher, leaders can step back and see the bigger picture:

• What patterns are emerging?
• Where are the systemic gaps?
• How can training, policy, or workflows be improved?

This allows agencies to turn QA data into action—targeted training, updated procedures, and more effective coaching.

Just as importantly, it changes perception.

When leadership clearly communicates that QA tools are designed to support—not scrutinize—staff begin to trust the process. They see it as a resource, not a threat.

That shift in mindset is essential for building a true just culture.

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Leadership Takeaways & Next Steps

Shifting culture in a 911 center isn’t about one policy change—it’s about consistent leadership behavior paired with system-level improvements.

Here are practical steps to get started:

1. Normalize “permission to fail”

• Talk about it openly
• Reinforce that mistakes (without intent) are learning opportunities

2. Reframe QA conversations

• Focus on trends, not individuals
• Ask “what happened?” instead of “who’s at fault?”

3. Model emotional intelligence

• Stay grounded during high-stress moments
• Show appropriate authenticity and transparency

4. Start the just culture conversation

• Engage staff and unions early
• Use real examples to illustrate the shift

5. Align tools with intent

• Implement platforms like Comms Coach with clear messaging
• Emphasize organizational improvement over individual blame

At its core, this transformation is about trust.

When emotional intelligence meets just culture, 911 centers move from fear-based operations to learning-driven organizations. And in a field defined by high stakes and constant pressure, that shift doesn’t just improve culture—it improves outcomes.

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