Cooper County EMA, 911 Center separated; each gets new director

The emergency management and 911 Center operations will now exist separately from one another in Cooper County, with the old director of both out of the picture.

The county commission announced Thursday afternoon that EMA assistant director Candace Sorrell accepted the job to replace Tom White, the former director of EMA and the county’s dispatch center. Cooper County Presiding Commissioner Don Baragary said the Saline County Emergency 911 Board of Directors will temporarily handle administrative duties for Cooper County’s dispatch.

Baragary told ABC 17 News Thursday night he was “very pleased” Sorrell accepted the new job as EMA director, believing she can move the agency in the direction they hope to see it move.

“We want everything, all dispatch entities, our 911 center, our emergency management, law enforcement, ambulance, fire, we want everybody to work together the best way they can,” Baragary said.

An advisory board was created by the county commission in April to address concerns from the community, and review county 911 operations. Boonville Police Chief Bobby Welliver voiced concerns that his city was not being represented in the new committee.

White served as EMA and 911 Center director beginning in 1996, according to the Missouri Emergency Management Agency website. White consolidated the county’s emergency dispatch into one place, moving it from the Boonville Police Department to its current location underneath the county courthouse in 1999. While BPD still uses its own dispatch center for its calls, the Cooper County 911 Center handles the dispatching duties for all other county services.

Baragary would not say why White is no longer involved with EMA or the 911 Center, calling it a private personnel matter.

“If you’re 99-percent accurate, there’s that one percent that things could be improved upon,” Baragary said when asked why the departments needed to move in a different direction. “And we’re going to strive for that. And the main thing is the safety of the community.”

The Saline County Emergency 911 Board of Directors will take care of administrative duties in Cooper County, Baragary said. Stacie Smith, the Saline County board’s director, met with dispatchers Thursday night, Baragary said, and will work with the Cooper County center two days out of the week. The Saline County 911 Center board works out of Marshall, about 40 minutes northwest of Boonville.

Baragary said dispatchers would still work in Cooper County, and answer to the county commission. The Saline County board would provide temporary guidance until at least November’s election. Cooper County voters will see a 1/8-cent sales tax proposition on the ballot next month. Baragary said the money raised from it would help fund the 911 center with staffing and technological improvements, as well as establish an elected Board of Directors to manage it.