On October 6, 2020, Jasper County (JASCO) Telecommunication Operator (TCO) II Marla Harris took a call from the father of a 2-year-old child taken by her mother who was making threats to kill herself and their child. He had received a video, numerous calls and text messages telling him what she was going to do. TCOII Harris remained on the call with him for almost the entirety of the event. JASCO emergency communications team swiftly began attempts to locate the endangered child. Chelsea Rives, the Communications Supervisor for Carthage Police Department, quickly sent an Amber Alert request to the Missouri Highway Patrol. JASCO TCO Jenna Ehrhardt dispatched the alert to Jasper County law enforcement officers. TCO Chelsea Finn contacted the mother’s cell phone provider to locate (ping) the phone and dispatch that information to Carthage officers. TCO Jeff Boyer dispatched other law enforcement agencies within the county and coordinated assistance with Kansas state agencies. TCO Amber Madison sent out descriptive information and set up the county’s media alert release and Facebook posts. Training Coordinator Kima Burnett and Angela Russell (TCO in training) logged on to assist with incoming calls from citizens and field units. Team Leader Breanna Knoeber, supervised team efforts and alerted Carthage Fire and Mercy Emergency Medical Services.
Field units headed to the last known location with every cell phone ping. TCOII Harris continued to keep the father calm and updated while he and field officers looked for the mother and child. Team members continuously updated law enforcement agencies in Jasper county, Missouri and Kansas Highway Patrols, Kansas county and city agencies, and fire and medical services. On the last ping of the cell phone in Kansas, the Carthage negotiator who was on the phone with the mother, informed the team the mother would return to Carthage with the child. TCO Boyer recognized from the mother’s last known location that there were only two paths she could take to either return or head into Pittsburg, KS. He and TCO Madison began calling agencies along that route, while other team members notified Kansas Highway Patrol. The rest of the team were keeping up with the flood of calls coming in from citizens as well as many handling other emergencies, including a call needing CPR pre-arrival instructions. The mother was found in Pittsburg, KS, where she was taken into custody without incident to receive the help she needed. The child was recovered safely and returned to her father. For these Heroes Behind the Headset, the day continued.
This TEAM worked together seamlessly. Every agency and responder, from 911 telecommunicators to law enforcement officers to Carthage police station personnel, worked diligently and with compassion; never giving up on getting accurate information out quickly and trying to find this little girl. You could have heard a pin drop when the team heard the news that they had been found her and everything was okay. Followed by an incredible sigh of relief from the JASCO “wamily” (work family). This incident truly showed us how well we all work together as one, within our agency, with outside agencies in multiple jurisdictions and across state and county lines.
Missouri APCO is proud to recognize Carthage Police Department Communications Officer Chelsea Rives and JASCO Team Leader Breanna Knoeber; TCO Jeff Boyer; TCO Jenna Ehrhardt; TCO Chelsea Finn; TCO II Marla Harris, TCO/Office Clerk Amber Madison; TCO (trainee) Angela Russell; and Training Coordinator Kima Burnett as Missouri Teammates in Action.