FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The week of April 9-15 is set aside nationally to honor those that provide the voice to our emergency services across our country. We recognize the outstanding service of 9-1-1 telecommunicators during observance of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. The Springfield-Greene County 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Department will honor the employees with activities and events to highlight the week to include an official proclamation signed by Mayor Ken McClure, City Manager Jason Gage, the Commissioners of Greene County and Greene County Administrator Chris Coulter.
“Celebrating 911 Telecommunicators this year is especially important,” said Director Kris Inman. “In the midst of historic staffing shortages, doing a job that asks so much of them, our folks have been nothing short of heroic. They continue to set a high bar and are providing absolutely first-class service to our citizens and user agencies regardless of the circumstances. The public doesn’t see behind the scenes, but I do – and what I see daily would make every citizen in Greene County extraordinarily proud.”
“Our dispatch center and trained 9-1-1 telecommunicators answer 700-800 calls every day. When those in our community need us, they rely on the ‘first’ first responders on the other end of the phone line,” said Assistant Director J.R. Webb. “We receive over 260,000 9-1-1 calls in our county each year with a wide range of emergency situations. We are so very fortunate to have such highly trained and committed staff in our Operations Center, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
Springfield-Greene County 9-1-1 Emergency Communications received over 260,000 9-1-1 emergency calls in 2022 with over 86 percent of these calls from a wireless device. These numbers continue to increase each year and the ‘text-to-911’ capability was formally implemented in 2018 for those rare cases when people are unable to communicate audibly via the telephone. The department received over 1500 ‘text-to-911’ calls in 2022 – an increase of over 96%.
The 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Department proudly dispatches for 13 fire agencies and nine law enforcement agencies who all work well together and provide excellent public safety response for our community.
The fire agencies include:
- Ash Grove Fire Protection District
- Battlefield Fire Protection District
- Bois D’Arc Fire Protection District
- Brookline Fire Protection District
- Ebenezer Fire Protection District
- Fair Grove Fire Protection District
- Logan-Rogersville Fire Protection District
- Republic Fire Department
- Springfield Fire Department
- Strafford Fire Protection District
- Walnut Grove Fire Protection District
- West Republic Fire Protection District
- Willard Fire Protection District
The law enforcement agencies they serve include:
- Ash Grove Police Department
- Battlefield Police Department
- Fair Grove Police Department
- Greene County Sheriff’s Office
- Republic Police Department
- Springfield Police Department
- Strafford Police Department
- Walnut Grove Police Department
- Willard Police Department.
In addition, the Springfield-Greene County 9-1-1 receives the initial 9-1-1 calls for medical assistance that are transferred to CoxHealth or Mercy Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for dispatch.
“We enjoy an excellent working relationship with our area emergency medical dispatch teams and many other public safety partners in the southwest Missouri region,” said Webb.
“Our user agencies are such a key component to what we do, and our staff are dedicated to doing their part to keep them safe,” Inman said.
Citizens are reminded to contact 9-1-1 when they need police, fire and/or emergency medical ambulance response.
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For more information about 9-1-1 and presentations, please contact Director Kris Inman at 417-829-6000 or [email protected]