A moment of silence could mean impending calamity for police radio dispatchers. (Matt Yoka/Neon Tommy)

Natrese Thomas, a veteran police radio dispatcher, sits at her desk facing six computer monitors. It takes that many screens to coordinate an emergency response. At any moment, she could find herself at the center of a crisis with police officers dependent on her for essential information.

Working the night shift, silence can be eerie and an indicator of impeding calamity. Radio dispatchers work together in a space the size of a large auditorium. The room hums with the sounds of hundreds of computers. Voices float upwards towards the ceiling as keyboards rattle off in sporadic bursts.

There's not much on Natrese's desk other than a notepad. The other 30 or so dispatchers' desks might hold magazines, cups of coffee, or half sown sweaters. They all sit and wait for the next disaster, which is always on the way.

Reach contributor Matt Yoka here.