In the past month, the community of Excelsior Springs has experienced a lifetime of tragedy. A double shooting and homicide on Sept. 7th, the shooting of a police officer and subsequent death of the suspect last week, a family losing their home and pets in a traumatic fire on Saturday, and now the developing story of a kidnapping, sexual assault, and potentially more have left the community reeling. I think we’re all saying to ourselves “what is happening here!?”
No other group in our community has been hit harder than our emergency responders. Our Excelsior Springs Police, Fire Department, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) have shown incredible resilience in the face of adversity. Through all of their challenges, they’ve shown great poise and professionalism.
Our Excelsior Springs Police and Firefighters have had some assistance from our neighboring communities and county services, but they’re facing struggles of their own. Our community, county, state, and nation are all facing shortages of personnel leaving us all more susceptible to the dangers of our world.
For this week’s Citizen Spotlight, we’d just like to pause, take a moment and say thank you to all of our friends, family, and neighbors who put their lives on the line each day trying to keep our community safe and making Excelsior Springs a warm and welcoming place. Thank You.
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dang, thats crazy..
Lets not forget the Dispatcher(s) who handled these terrible situations stuck behind a console. Unable to see exactly what is happening yet hearing all of it. As a former ESPD dispatcher and now a dispatcher for LifeFlight Eagle, a dispatcher is often the unsung hero in high stress situations. They are the voice of calm and help when someone is having their worst moment. We hold hands, wipe tears, comfort nerves and provide care to everyone without ever being seen. The Officers, Firefighters, Paramedics are our family and while they may be boots on the ground the first point of contact is dispatch. Thank You for All You Do! #thingoldline #prouddispatcher
Thank you for being a voice for dispatchers, Cristi! We appreciate all you do! We have always considered dispatchers as part of ESPD, but you’re right, they’re not always recognized and should be.