The Nashua Police Department's dispatchers were recently named Team of the Year by the New Hampshire Emergency Dispatchers Association. The commendation stems from the dispatchers' tireless efforts in managing a torrent of emergency calls during the shooting at Sky Meadow Country Club on Sept. 20, 2025. Courtesy photo/Nashua Police Department

NASHUA – The dispatch team at the Nashua Police Department was recently named Team of the Year by the New Hampshire Emergency Dispatchers Association for its tireless efforts in managing the torrent of emergency calls when Sky Meadow Country Club came under attack on the night of Sept. 20, 2025.

“Receiving this award is an incredible honor and one that I accept with a great deal of humility. Emergency communications personnel are often unrecognized and forgotten after the call is disconnected,” said Emily Horlick, a Nashua dispatcher for the past five years. “We accepted the honor knowing that none of us do this job alone.”

As for the job itself, Horlick said each call requires its own unique response.

“While that can be demanding, it’s also what makes the work both exciting and meaningful,” she said. “What makes it worthwhile is knowing that what we do has a direct impact on outcomes.”

Looking back to last fall, Horlick said Sept. 20 was just another day at the office.

“It had been a regular day, patrol duties, routine calls of service, regular dispatch and communications responsibilities,” she said, adding that she and four of her colleagues were working that night.

Still, everything was normal — until the phone rang at 7:20 p.m.

“The severity of the situation became apparent within the first few minutes of the initial calls,” said Horlick. “Call takers began receiving multiple 911 calls at the same time, all describing similar details, gunshots, panic and people trying to get to safety. That consistency made it clear this was not a routine call for service.”

Horlick and her colleagues quickly found themselves in a whirlwind of chaos.

“This involved multiple callers, rapidly changing information and the very real possibility of ongoing harm to both the public as well as responding officers,” she said.

As the situation continued to evolve, a countless number of police officers, firefighters, paramedics and SWAT operators raced to Sky Meadow.

“Nashua had never dealt with a situation of this magnitude,” said Horlick. “We had never experienced an active shooter before.”

She said the volume of 911 calls was relentless.

“It wasn’t just a brief surge,” said Horlick. “It was a sustained, high-volume situation that required constant attention and coordination from everyone involved.”

Nearly eight months have passed since gunfire shattered the innocence of the Gate City.

“Coping has been a process rather than a single moment of resolution,” said Horlick. “There were moments that stayed with me, which is natural in this line of work, but talking through the experience with family, people who were there during the incident or understand the nature of this work has been incredibly influential.”

She also remembers how she stood with Nashua’s finest in the face of an unprecedented emergency.

“As difficult as it was, I know I did my job to the best of my ability and contributed to the overall response,” said Horlick. “That perspective brings a sense of purpose and helps me move forward.”

Donna Rosso, a Nashua dispatcher for four years, said it was “truly an honor” to be recognized by the Emergency Dispatchers Association.

“The feeling of being there when a caller needs you — it may not be an emergency to me but it is to the caller,” she said.

Like Horlick, Rosso agreed that there was nothing out of the ordinary until the phones “blew up” on the night of the Sky Meadow shooting.

“We tried to prioritize calls, from the most injured to people who were looking for loved ones — those calls came in for hours.”