Reprinted with permission from Behind the Badge
By Joe Vargas
Over the course of a career first responders will deal with thousands of critical incidents. These can be difficult, challenging and at times emotionally draining. These can be everything from family fights to fatal traffic accidents to even murder. But there are those calls that just stand out and are forever lodged in your memories of the men and women who have to deal with them.
This is especially true when these calls involve innocent children who are the victims of violent crime.
On September 16, 2009, in the city of Westminster, Calif., at about 6:30 in the morning, Kristin Kannard was working as a police dispatcher and Officer Cameron Knauerhaze was working patrol when the call came in.
The mother told the call taker she had just stabbed her 3-year-old and 5-year-old daughters.
Kristin Kannard is now a dispatch supervisor and Cameron Kanuerhaze is now deputy chief, but the events of that day still resonate with them.
Take a listen as BTB columnist Joe Vargas spoke with them about what it was like during and afterwards.