A Tribute to the Voices Who Never Hang Up

A Tribute to the Voices Who Never Hang Up

There are days that change everything.

September 11, 2001, was one of those days. A day etched into the soul of this country. A day where the world felt uncertain—but courage showed up anyway. We saw firefighters, officers, medics, and dispatchers rise to the challenge. Some in plain view. Others behind the scenes. But all of them essential.

This week, during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, I want to focus on those who are so often overlooked—not because their work isn’t important, but because it happens in the background, behind the radio, behind the headset, behind the walls of a communications room.

I’m talking about the Missouri State Highway Patrol Communications Division—and more personally, the team I have the privilege of working alongside at Troop C.

These are the voices who answer the calls no one ever wants to make. The ones who stay calm when chaos unfolds. The ones who guide help when every second matters. They are the lifeline for every trooper on the road, but their service goes beyond answering radio traffic or dispatching assistance. They carry the weight of it all.

They are there when a crash report comes in with screaming in the background.
They are there when a pursuit begins with a shaky voice and adrenaline in the air.
They are there when the line goes silent and everyone holds their breath.

They don’t just answer phones—they answer people.
Frightened people. Injured people. Confused people.
They take control of what feels uncontrollable and create calm where there is none.

And then, they move on to the next call. And the next. And the next.

There are no parades for communications operators. No flashing lights. No headlines. But make no mistake—they are the heart of every emergency response. Without them, the system doesn’t work. The road doesn’t get help. The call doesn’t go through. The trooper doesn’t have a lifeline.

At Troop C, I see firsthand the incredible work being done every day—and night. These professionals don’t clock in and clock out with ease. They carry the echoes of calls long after the shift ends. They sit in dim-lit rooms with radios in their ears, voices in their heads, and weight on their hearts that most people will never understand.

But still—they show up.
They stay.
They serve.
They care.

Not for applause.
Not for praise.
But because someone has to. And because they choose to.

So to my colleagues in Troop C Communications—this week is for you. This reflection is for you. You are the calm in the storm, the protector of protectors, the voice when someone needs it most. You are professionals. You are heroes. And you are never, ever forgotten.

Thank you for every call you’ve taken.
For every trooper you’ve guided.
For every family you’ve calmed.
For every moment you stayed steady when everything else was falling apart.

The work you do matters. The service you give matters.
And the way you do it—with excellence, with grace, and with strength—deserves more than a week of thanks.

We see you. We hear you. We stand with you.
And from the bottom of my heart—thank you for being the voice that never gives up.

“MSHP Communications – The Voice That Stays”

A Tribute to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Communications Division

They sit in rooms with steady breath,
Where silence dances close to death.
No lights, no fame, no cheering crowd—
Just quiet strength that speaks out loud.

MSHP Communications stands the line,
Behind the call, behind the sign.
The lifeline wrapped in calm and grace,
The anchor in the wildest place.

A crash, a chase, a voice grown weak—
They listen first before they speak.
No panic heard within their tone,
Just courage steady, soft, and known.

Through thunder’s roar and fear’s unrest,
They guide, direct, and give their best.
One voice, unseen by public eye—
Yet always near when danger’s nigh.

To those who serve in headset halls,
Who map the roads and answer calls—
Your words have weight, your work is gold,
Your bravery quiet, strong, and bold.

You’re the calm when sirens cry,
The reason help will soon arrive.
While others run or radio through,
MSHP Communications—it all begins with you.

You hold the line when no one sees,
In long night shifts and urgency.
No medals shine, no cameras flash,
But lives are saved in every dash.

So here’s to you—our heroes still—
With sharpened mind and iron will.
The hearts behind each trooper’s pace—
MSHP Communications—the voice that stays in place.