December 16, 2019
Jasper County Emergency Services received notification and dispatched a stolen vehicle to county Sheriff Deputies and all other law enforcement agencies. The vehicle was equipped with GPS tracking and the owner provided a good vehicle location behind a residence in the county. Deputies arrived and were monitoring activity at the residence when shots were fired and a Jasper County Deputy was hit. The Communications team came together seamlessly to monitor increased law enforcement radio traffic, dispatch Fire and EMS to a staging area, make staff notifications, dispatch a K-9 officer as well as additional emergency backup officers. It seemed like hours for the team who did not know the status of their wounded deputy but was only minutes for backup deputies and Joplin City officers to arrive.
The Jasper County communications team did a fantastic job remaining calm during this crisis incident. That teamwork extended to the field and everyone who heard “officer down.” They worked together, nothing was missed, and not one of them broke their professionalism or concentration. The team kept everything documented, on track and worked with other jurisdictions professionally. They made notifications quickly and even maintained a professional calm as officer family members called in to check on their loved one. Their positive attitudes and ability to work so closely with one another kept everyone in the room and in the field calm. Exceptional service is what we all strive for and this was a great example.
Missouri APCO is proud to recognize the Jasper County Communications team as Teammates in Action!
Kurt Fluharty, Telecommunications Officer
Treisha Stringer, Telecommunications Officer
Breanna Knober, Telecommunications Specialist/Acting Team Leader
Kellie Balcom, Telecommunications Officer
Kima Burnett, Training & Quality Assurance Coordinator
Learn more about the Missouri Teammate in Action program! You can also nominate an individual teammate or team for recognition!