ST.

FRANCOIS
COUNTY
JOINT COMMUNICATION CENTER

If it’s an accident or threatening weather, we are here.

Middle of the night? We are here.
Holidays? We are here. 365 days a year. We are here.
 ANSWERING THE CALL
Quotes from 911 Dispatchers
I WILL DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER
“Dispatchers are often the voices of people who are never seen. We
arrive at emergencies before other agencies and deal with life and
death scenarios. Each day is a different challenge. We are there when
babies are born, patients die, people contemplate suicide, and so much
more. Being the calm person when situations don’t go as expected is a
great comfort to those who need help. So, why am I a dispatcher? My
attitude is I will do everything in my power to make sure you get home
safely. Though the amount of responsibility for a dispatcher is often
overwhelming, the reward of helping someone is unmatched.”
LIFE-SAVING CPR AND PRAYER
“I’ve spent over half my life helping people through some of their worst
times . . . and, some of their best, too. I can’t begin to count the number
of calls I’ve answered. Every single call has an impact on somebody’s life.
Often, those calls changed my life in some way! I can remember assisting
with life-saving CPR and praying with an elderly man because he didn’t
have any family left to pray with him.”
I RECEIVED A CARD FROM THE FAMILY
“I received a call stating a tractor fell on a woman’s leg. Naturally, her
family was hysterical. The clear instructions I was able to give calmed her
family members so they could help their mother until the first responders
arrived. I received a card from the family thanking me for walking them
through a difficult situation. This is what makes this job amazing!”
THE CHILD HAD BEEN BORN
“At 7:39 am on June 1st, I took a call from a mother who was having
contractions and was already on her way to the hospital in a private
vehicle. En route, the father pulled into a parking lot to call 911 to request
help. We immediately dispatched Police, Fire and EMS to the scene.
At approximately 7:40 — just one minute later — the father informed me
the child had been born and was crying. Both mom and baby girl were
transported to the hospital by ambulance, and the ambulance personnel
were pleased to report everyone was healthy and very happy.”
Published 2021 1 2
FROM ALAN WELLS
911 Director
Serving families. Saving lives. Protecting communities.
When emergencies happen, our local 911 Emergency
Center answers the call. Our operations never close
and we are your first point of contact when you need
emergency assistance.
In 1993, the St. Francois County 911 Center went on the
air, and, at that time, dispatched for almost all Police,
Fire and EMS departments in St. Francois County. In
early 2011, we consolidated with Ste. Genevieve
County to form a single command center operating
Alan Wells, 911 Director
from the same building in Park Hills, Missouri.
Its official name is St. Francois County Joint Communication Center — commonly
known as the 911 Center. I was appointed as the Center’s first director and
oversee approximately 35 staff professionals and its day-to-day operations.
The Center’s current technologies use computer-aided dispatch which is fully
integrated with mobile data terminals in patrol and fire units. The computer-
based mapping includes call locations, GPS, and sets of critical information and
Emergency Medical Dispatching. We dispatch for 13 law enforcement agencies
and 20 fire departments as well as emergency medical services. Delivering
these vital services in an efficient, safe and professional manner is our mission.
Regardless of how great or minor your emergency, our goal is to constantly strive
for excellence in the field of public safety through emergency communications.
As director, I am so proud of the work and dedication of our amazing 911 Center
men and women who work to serve the citizens. Without them, the emergency
services could not function. Day in and out, they perform their duties to a great
credit to themselves and the public.
On behalf of myself and the 911 staff, I thank you for the tremendous support
shown by our great community. Our staff will move forward in the pursuit of
perfection through dedication, sincerity and loyalty to our citizens.
Sincerely,
Alan Wells
911 Director
FROM RON BOCKENKAMP BOARD MEMBERS
911 Board Chairman
Representing the diverse needs of our communities.
It is a great honor to be elected Chairman of
the Board of Directors of St. Francois County
Joint Communication Center.
I see the board of directors as first having a
fiduciary responsibility to the citizens of St.
Francois County. We must not forget that it
takes funds to achieve accomplishments, as
we are doing. With the sales tax initiative
James Bullock David Pratte
passed in 2014, for the purpose of funding Vice Chairman, District 2 Secretary, District 2
the operations and maintenance, the board
is pleased with the progress that has been
achieved. A highlight was the remodel and Ron Bockenkamp
addition to the 911 Center, as well as a new Chairman, Member-at-Large
phone system and all new equipment.
The Center now provides an Emergency Operations Center which is a central
command and control facility responsible for carrying out the principles
of emergency preparedness and emergency management, or disaster
management functions at a strategic level during an emergency. This will
better provide assistance to the citizens in the case of a disastrous situation.
The board continues to remain committed to the citizens of St. Francois and
Ste. Genevieve counties to provide the highest quality of service for Police,
Fire and EMS. We will continue to take pride in our community as being Ginger Taylor Todd Mecey
Treasurer, District 1 Board Member, District 1
dedicated to meeting the needs of our citizens.
In closing, the board would like to express its gratitude to the management
team and employees for their hard work and dedication. Their loyalty and
dedication are what make the 911 Center operate so efficiently to provide
emergency services to our citizens on a day-to-day basis.
Above all, we thank our citizens for their loyalty and support of the 911
Center. Our citizens will always be our first and upmost concern.
Sincerely,

Ron Bockenkamp
Chairman, Board Member-at-Large Mark Allen Kenny Wakefield
Board Member, District 1 Board Member, District 2, Photo Unavailable

3 4
HOW WE BEGAN
In a search to better provide services to St. Francois County residents, the
cooperative efforts of area public service agencies paved the way for the St.
Francois County Joint Communication Center to be created. In 1991, by a
majority vote, St. Francois County residents voted to support a county-wide
911 System. Shortly after this vote, a government subdivision of the County
(St. Francois County Joint Communication Center) was created to provide
emergency phone and communication services for the residents of St.
Francois County.
Public officials had the best interest of the citizens in mind when they
decided to create a central dispatch service. Their goal was to provide
state-of-the-art emergency communication services. They realized no single
agency could afford to build and maintain such a system. So, by uniting
their efforts and resources, plans for an efficient, cost-effective system were
developed.
Representatives from various county boards and agencies worked to create
the St. Francois County Joint Communication Center. Inaugural members
were:
• Bill Bradley — President, St. Francois County Commissioner
• Larry Hughes — Vice President, Flat River City Manager
• Herman Skaggs — Secretary, City of Desloge Administrator
• Paul Hedrick — Treasurer, Bismarck Mayor
• Mark Allen — St. Francois County Ambulance District
• Jack Cade — St. Francois County Sheriff
• Gene Archer — Bonne Terre Chief of Police
• Ben Flatt — City of Elvins Mayor
• Jim King — City of Esther Mayor
• Don Hanners — Terre du Lac Representative
• Earl Key — City of Leadington Mayor
• Doyle Lance — Iron Mountain Lake Mayor
• Ken Meinershagen — City of Leadwood Mayor
• Rodger Turner — Fire Department Representative
In early 2011, in a cost-saving effort which eventually provided better
service, the St. Francois County 911 Board and the Ste. Genevieve County
Commission agreed to consolidate their dispatch centers. So, in March, St.
Francois County 911 began dispatching for Ste. Genevieve County Police, Fire
and EMS.
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On November 4, 2014, St. Francois County residents voted to replace the
existing St. Francois County 911 telephone tariff/tax levy and enact a county
sales tax of three-eighths of one percent for the purpose of funding the
operations and maintenance, central call-taking, and dispatching services
for the fire protection, emergency medical, law enforcement, emergency
telephone and other emergency services. The vote passed with 68.39
percent of the electorate favoring the sales tax. The vote was: Yes — 8,692
and No — 4,018.
In December 2014, it was decided by the St. Francois County Commission
that in light of the 911 sales tax initiative, an elected board would be put into
place. An appointed board made up of 15 members had been in place for
years that maintained control of 911.
The commission decided it would be in the public’s best interest if it altered
the board to seven members. The construction of the board included three
members being elected from each commissioner district and one member
elected at-large. The member elected at-large became the chairman of the
board. The highest vote-getters served for four years in each commissioner
district. The other two members from each commissioner district served
two years. And, the at-large member served four years. Then, when the
two-year terms were up, board members ran for four years, making it
four-year terms for every member.
The initial elected board was as follows:
• Ron Bockenkamp — Board Member-at-Large
• Mark Allen — Board Member District 1
• Todd Mecey — Board Member District 1
• Ginger Taylor — Board Member District 1
• James Bullock — Board Member District 2
• Wendell Jarvis — Board Member District 2
• David Pratte — Board Member District 2

NEW BUILDING
The new 911 command center (above) remodelled and expanded the 1993 building.
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YOUR TAX DOLLARS
Your tax dollars were spent to effectively and efficiently
serve St. Francois County residents with the new 911
command center.
REMODEL & EXPANSION
With the financial undergirding provided by the three-eighths of a cent
sales tax put into effect in 2015, St. Francois County Joint Communication
Center could move forward with a remodel and expansion project. Board
Chairman Ron Bockenkamp stated, “It’s important to me and the board
that the public is aware of our decisions and how we’re spending those tax
dollars. The board’s goal is to ensure the public knows that we’re not just
banking the sales tax funds.” Director Alan Wells explained that the 911
facility was 24 years old and unable to effectively handle the county’s needs
since its population had grown substantially over that time. Director Wells
went on to state that the call load had increased dramatically — more than
doubled — and that meant more personnel were necessary to keep up with
the workload. Along the way, the Center also relocated the county-wide
emergency management into the facility. The old center no longer had the
space and needed to expand to plan for the future.
FGM ARCHITECTS
St. Francois County Joint Communication Center hired FGM Architects from
St. Louis, Missouri, in early 2016 for an addition and renovation project.
Jerrod Joggerst from FGM, who spearheaded the design project with his
team, was quoted saying, “The $2.5 million construction and renovation
project began when Brockmiller Construction of Farmington was hired to
complete the work in two phases. Brockmiller Construction started the
original building back in 1992. The first phase involved the construction of
new space to house the central dispatch control center. The second phase
involved the gutting of the original building’s interior which was completed
in January of 2018.”
ATOS
St. Francois County Joint Communication Center needed to replace an
outdated analog system and turned to Phil Rotheram with ATOS for Next
Generation 911 (NG911) technology. Phil has worked with public safety
technology for more than 20 years and states, “St. Francois County is truly
planning for the future with this innovative.” ATOS’ Next Generation systems
have been used extensively in Spain and other European countries for public
safety incident management dispatching. St. Francois County became
the first agency in the U.S. to implement ATOS’ OpenScape First Response
System and network services. OpenScape First Response accommodates
changes in communication technologies to optimize resources, reduce
response times and improve reliability.
Director Alan Wells stated that in this business, seconds mean life or death
and the ATOS team understands this. They anticipated what we needed and
customized solutions to fit our operations. For the first phase of the project,
ATOS implemented a geographically separated, redundant Openscape
Voice and GEMMA solution to provide comprehensive functionality to five
911 dispatch centers. “Regardless of which Public Safety Answering Point
(PSAP) facility they’re in, operators can answer calls as if they were in their
home PSAP,” said Rotheram. This location-independence is invaluable in
cases such as natural disasters, where the connection into facility might
be lost and calls need to be routed to another facility. For the second
phase, St. Francois County agreed to be ATOS’ U.S. pilot case in Missouri for
Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet) and Next Generation Core Services,
the technology required to deliver voice, video, text and date “calls” to
the PSAP. ATOS replaced all the network connections coming into the 911
centers, moving from analog trunks to a full ESInet. St. Francois County
Joint Communication Center plans to extend beyond its current footprint
to bring in other neighboring cities and counties. The long-term goal is to
make NG911 technology available to agencies across Missouri, creating an
interconnected statewide solution.
CAD
Along with the expanded space, the Center was updated with state-of-the-
art equipment. The purchase of a new Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD)
System from Cushing CAD provides a powerful real time connection which
permits automated checks of all persons and vehicles entered into the
system during an ongoing incident, regardless of their affiliation to the event.
Director Wells explained the “CAD” is what the dispatcher uses when a
citizen calls 911 about an incident. Dispatchers enter that call right into
this CAD system that’s tracking the incident. The CAD system recommends
what agency and what officer should respond, and then it tracks when
they’re en route and on the scene. The new system allows us to transmit
information wirelessly and directly to the unit — or the officers or fire
departments — right into their apparatus so they can now also work with
us and have another method of receiving that incident faster, as opposed
to the traditional radio system. While radio communications are the most
crucial way to be able to communicate, they are also the most vulnerable
in the middle of a disaster or storm. CAD is another method to assure we
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are getting the information quicker, more efficiently and in such a way that
it reduces the workload in the dispatch room. Austin Donaghy, Owner and
President of the Cushing CAD, stated he was very pleased that his company
was chosen to be a part of the project as St. Francois County 911 moves to
provide the best equipment available to the citizens of St. Francois County.
With the upgrade to the Cushing CAD, the 911 Communication Center is
now able to utilize Mobile Data Terminals for all Public Safety Agencies along
with Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL). AVL provides the Communication
Center with GPS capabilities to assist with the reduction of response times.
Besides the reduction of response times, the AVL provides added safety to
responders out in the field. The Mobile Data Terminal enhancement gives
Public Safety Agencies the capability of having access to the CAD in the field.
POWERPHONE
The Center now utilizes Total Response by PowerPhone which is a protocol-
based handling solution for police, fire and medical emergencies. With Total
Response, every call gets a proven call-taking formula which empowers
the Center to set standard of care, deliver it consistently, and monitor
performance.
ZETRON MAX RADIO CONSOLES
The Communication Center upgraded to the Zetron Max Radio Consoles
which allow enhanced communications with Public Safety Agencies.
This gives the Center the capability of “man down” features which send
notification of an activation of the emergency button. In turn, this means
a Public Safety Responder can notify the Center, discretely, that they are in
need of assistance.
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER
The Communication Center is equipped with an Emergency Operations
Center to provide assistance to all municipalities in the event of a situation.
An Emergency Operations Center is a central command and control facility
responsible for carrying out the principles of emergency preparedness and
emergency management, or disaster management functions at a strategic
level during an emergency, and ensuring the continuity of operation of a
company, political subdivision or other organization.
TIPS WHEN CALLING 911 Franklin
BY THE NUMBERS
- Listen to the dispatcher and answer all questions.
Jefferson
- Speak clearly and calmly. Do Not Hang Up until the dispatcher says it’s
okay to do so.

• Serving 90,000 people

- When reporting an emergency from your vehicle, be prepared to give
road, street or address information. If possible, identify the nearest cross Washington
streets, landmarks or buildings. Ste.
Genevieve
- When reporting an accident, you’ll be asked: Are there injuries? Is traffic St. • Over 350 calls a day
blocked? How many vehicles are involved? Can you determine if people Francois Perry
are trapped or if dangerous substances are involved?
- When reporting a fire, tell what’s on fire, the exact location and if it • 365 days a year
seems to be spreading. If possible and safe, stay near the scene to direct
fire fighters if the fire is not easily seen from the road. Iron Madison Cape
- When reporting crimes in progress, it can be dangerous, so be careful.
Girardeau

Don’t take unnecessary chances. If you can safely determine the kind of
crime, if weapons are involved or if there are injuries, tell the dispatcher.
- When calling from a cell phone, stop the vehicle on the side of the road
before dialing. To properly verify your location, it’s important to tell the
dispatcher exactly where the emergency is located. Give your direction
of travel, the street or highway, and/or physical landmarks such as
buildings or major intersections.
- If 911 is dialed by mistake, please stay on the line and let the dispatcher
know there is no problem and it was a dialing error.
Bollinger
St. Francois County Joint Communication Center serves an area of about
90,000 people in St. Francois and Ste. Genevieve counties in Southeast
Missouri. Wayne
The Center provides 911 emergency services for Police, Fire, EMS and other
life-saving assistance.

REASONS PEOPLE CALL 911

WHEN SHOULD YOU CALL? Police Fire EMS
Calls to 911 should be reserved for emergencies such as: • Asssault • Residential Fires • Motor Vehicle Accidents
• Serious medical emergencies (chest pains, seizures, bleeding, etc.) • Burglary Alarms • Commercial Fires • Fall/Long Fall
• Fires of any type (structure, vehicle, brush, etc.) • C&I Driver • Brush Fires • Breathing Difficulties
• Crimes in progress (robbery, burglary, prowler, fights, etc.) • Check Well Being • Fire Alarms • Psychiatric Case
• Life-threatening situations (traffic accidents with injuries, etc.) • Disturbance • Animal Rescues • Chest Pains
• Harrassment • Vehicle Fires • Cardiac Arrest
If you need the police, but it’s not an emergency, please call our • Theft • Electrical Fires • Overdose & Poisoning
non-emergency line at (573) 431-3131. Examples of such calls are: • Missing Persons • Dumpster Fires • Sick Person
• Traffic accidents which do not involve injuries • Threats • Carbon Monoxide • Diabetic Complications
• Loud music or barking dogs • Suspicious Person Alarms • Drowning
• Requests for information or Vehicle • High Angle Rescue • Unconscious Persons
• To report the malfunctioning of traffic signals, etc.

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LIFE OF A DISPATCHER OUR TEAM OUR JOURNEY
COMMAND STAFF
They are heroes to us. Thank you, 911 dispatchers! Alan Wells, Director
Poem by
Deputy Director Tina Harris
Tina Harris, Deputy Director
When you call “911” for assistance, the dispatcher’s words are the first words you Chuck Farr, Lead Supervisor
hear after tragedy strikes. The faceless dispatcher on the other end of the line will Come and hear our story
Allen Stegall, IT/Systems Administrator You may know it well
be the one to “dispatch” the help you need. Steve Worley, Technical/Facility It’s about our 911
Tragedy prompts all kinds of calls: Gary Fryman, Day Shift Supervisor And we’ve got a lot to tell
Josh Counts, Day Shift Supervisor
Robert Ludwig, Night Shift Supervisor We started out just perfect
• Please help. My baby’s not breathing.
Doug Graham, Night Shift Supervisor Our building it was small
• Help me! Help me, please! My husband’s not responding. It seemed to fit us nicely
• Send help . . . I’m hiding in my closet because someone is in my house. Casey McCarty, Mules TAC
From the short and to the tall
• My house is on fire. I need the fire department fast. Allison McAtee, Administrative Assistant
Our funding it was failing
St. Francois County 911 Center is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by FULL-TIME STAFF Landlines they were the past
dispatchers who are responsible for answering all 911 calls for St. Francois Amy Gipson But cell phones they were growing
and Ste. Genevieve counties. They also answer all administrative calls for 35 Ashley Richard Ever oh so fast
different agencies such as the ambulance district, area law enforcement and fire Brody Johnson
departments, and the college campus police. Bryanna Jones A sales tax was decided
Bryan Williams To help and save the day
Five dispatchers per shift handle an average of 9,367 calls each month — that’s Chetta Dement Much improvements they were needed
about 350 calls per day! Dispatchers evaluate every call, assess the level of And well upon their way
Carrie Gerstenschlager
emergency, and determine the correct services — police, fire or medical — to Camille Campbell We’ve been through lots of changes
send. Casey England This past year you will see
Dustin McKinney We’ve got a brand new building
Dispatchers are multi-taskers. While talking with you to gather information, Dylan Rice And as proud as we can be
the dispatcher is likely communicating with a deputy or a medic unit while Kodi Giessing
simultaneously looking up addresses, driving records and warrants to assist Kendra Schrum We all stood strong together and
the emergency responders. In a medical emergency, they provide pre-arrival Watched our dreams come true
Karlie Spain
instructions so victims receive immediate assistance while waiting for the police Knowing this would not have happened
Malory Orr Without a vote from you
and ambulance. They also track the location and safety of all emergency service Matthew Hart
personnel and determine whether they need assistance. Matthew Peery So we’d like to thank our voters
Rikki Mayberry Each and every one
Dispatchers are much more than call takers. They offer comfort to people they’ve
Tammy Isabel It’s been a long, long journey
never met. They are responsible for keeping their callers safe and calm. They hold And has only just begun
people’s hands during the worst moments of their lives. Dispatchers think clearly PART-TIME STAFF
in challenging situations, make informed decisions to determine safe, appropriate Andy Coleman So call us day or night
courses of action, and take action in a timely manner so help arrives promptly. Isaiah Shumate We’re always here for you
People’s lives depend on the accuracy and speed of a dispatcher’s actions. Just know our thoughts and prayers
John Colwell
Go with you always too
Without dispatchers, the 911 emergency services could not function. They work Lawrence Penberthy
12-hour shifts, weekends and holidays in a windowless room. They eat meals Phillip Horn
at their station and often forgo their breaks to serve county residents. Their Tacy Petrait
commitment and dedication is a great credit to themselves and the 911 Center.
A special thanks to the team who compiled this book: Julia Dill, Peggy Ropelle, Allison McAtee and Tina Harris.

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St. Francois County
Joint Communication Center
102 Industrial Drive
Park Hills, MO 63601