The Missouri Chapter of APCO is pleased to recognize members of the Joplin Police Department Communications Center as Missouri Teammates in Action!
During the overnight hours of July 6th, the Joplin Police Department communications center began experiencing glitches in their computer systems. The supervisor on duty contacted the IT department to report the issues. Once IT responded it was determined that their network may have been compromised city-wide, so they began shutting down systems as a precaution, everything from CAD to RMS to MULES and the recorder to prevent any further issues. Little did they know that this would go on for a significant period.
The overnight shift immediately went to paper and pen. As day shift came in, they began working on systems to track information that normally would be done in CAD, including paper logs for tows, report numbers, and many other systems that their network would normally handle, all while continuing to process calls for service on paper. These systems have a direct impact not only on the dispatch center, but all responders as well. This amazing team scrambled, improvised, and adapted hourly as they realized this was going to be a long-term situation. They worked together as a team to continually modify processes to ensure the level of service to citizens, visitors and responders was not compromised in any way. They quickly adapted to using the EMD protocols on cards and continued to use a variety of methods to ensure the location of calls within the city to make sure they sent the appropriate response units and types based on beats and service areas and worked with both law and fire supervisors to make sure calls were distributed correctly. A note of appreciation was given to Jasper County Emergency Services who allowed Joplin PD to send a couple of personnel to work short-term and provided a laptop to give MULES access while connections were vetted.
The Joplin PD’s communications team was nominated by Cheryl Konarski, Center Manager, who said: “It is now October and we are still not fully up. We have CAD and a couple of other programs working, but still have a ways to go. For now, this is the new normal, and our team has adapted beautifully. They have learned that they are resilient and, in moments of stress, work together to make things happen. I could not be prouder of them and the work they continue to do through extraordinary circumstances. Thank you to our amazing team of public safety communications professionals at the Joplin Emergency Communications Center. They are the epitome of professionalism and caring for our community and our responders. Gregg Henry, Laura Meador, Stephanie Welch, Julie Gooch, Mary Kehoe, Kamie Baker, Amanda Cox, Mckenna Allen, Madison Dodson, Tina Schroer, Nikkie Bartlett, Savanah Allen, Vanessa West-Comer and Chris Reeves– you guys are my heroes.”
Missouri APCO is proud to recognize the Joplin Police Department 9-1-1 Communications Center staff as Teammates in Action.