“Mum, we knew you could do it!” Meet St John WA’s Dispatcher of the Year 

Wangara-based Communications Officer, Leanne Woodcock, has been named St John WA’s ‘Dispatcher of the Year’ for the strong impression she made in just her first year of call handling. 

Every month, one call-taker at St John WA’s State Control Centre (SCC) is awarded ‘Call of the Month’ for demonstrating precision, care and high-quality outcomes for patients.  

At the end of the year, all calls are assessed by a panel to decide ‘Dispatcher of the Year’. 

Praised for her handling of a call from a person in the depths of a mental health crisis, Leanne provided a steady, caring voice at the other end of the line and built a reassuring rapport with the caller while they waited for paramedics to arrive.  

She was shocked to be honoured with the award. 

“I was really proud of myself – it was a real privilege to win the award,” Leanne said. 

“I’ve got two adult sons, and they were just like, ‘Mum, we knew you could do it!’” 

Leanne only trained to be a Communications Officer at the start of 2025 and, at 57 and having not studied since she was 16, she was unsure if she would make it through the vigorous revision required to pass the intensive three-month training course. 

Now that she has settled in, she could not be prouder to have taken the plunge with her new career.  

“What I’m most proud of with my job is being that friendly voice at the end of the line when a caller is more often than not having one of the worst days of their lives and being that calm presence on the line when the situation is often very stressful for the caller,” Leanne said. 

Leanne has had to support family members with health conditions for extensive periods of her life, which she believes contributes to the experience and empathy she brings to her calls.   

“I just seem to be able to chat with them, and build that rapport,” she said. 

“Some people want to talk, some people don’t – I can usually gauge it.” 

St John WA’s Triple Zero (000) call-takers could be faced with any emergency situation when they pick up their headset.  

Spending time at the beach and walking her beloved dog, Spencer, gives Leanne the mental space she needs to manage the harder parts of her job. 

The team camaraderie, wellbeing support and ongoing development also helps. 

“What I find in the SCC is it’s a real team, and everyone supports each other,” Leanne said. 

“If they hear you having a tricky or quite a tense call, everyone checks in on each other and makes sure everyone’s okay.” 

With her new career and a bunch of well-deserved travel plans on the horizon, Leanne is certain she’s made the right choice at this time in her life. 

“What motivates me to keep coming back is that I want to help, and the fact that there are so many people out there that need our help,” she said. 

“I think it’s a really good job to be in – one that I hope to do until I retire. 

“That’s the plan.” 

Inspired by Leanne? Learn about becoming a Communications Officer at St John WA.