KC Scout Shout!

It’s never too early to start planning for a major event and the event coming to Kansas City in 2026 is just that. The FIFA World Cup will be coming to the area and local leadership throughout the KC metro are starting the conversation on how the community can be ready to accommodate visitors from all over the world. The official schedule has been released and Arrowhead Stadium will host six matches including four group fixtures and two knockout games. The transportation working group has been developed and met on March 15. This group includes organization’s like KDOT, MoDOT, KC Scout, KCMO, MARC, and more! They will continue to meet monthly to discuss ways to be proactive and ready to host. More updates are to come as we approach 2026. Visit fifa.com to learn more about the 2026 World Cup: Kansas City (fifa.com)

The KC Scout board of directors are some of the busiest people at their organization, but they find the time to serve on the board and help move KC Scout forward.   Chris Herrick joined the KC Scouts Board of Directors at the Spring 2021 meeting, replacing Brian Gower.   He had been instrumental moving KC Scout forward by balancing giving advice and direction along with helping KC Scout find their own way by asking just the right questions.   “I always found Chris to be very positive and supportive of KC Scout.   He was one that would take the time to stop by and see you if he noticed you at a conference or meeting,” stated KC Scout Manager Randy Johnson. Mike Moriarty will be the Acting Director of Planning & Development and take Chris’s spot on the board.       

Emergency Response Operators Carla Shaw, Ishmael Sierra, and Kennith Robinson took the leap to receive their car seat certification. Shift Supervisors Edward Jackson and Chuck Burns are the lead installers followed by ER Operator Hector Ortiz. Being out on the road you never know the type of situations you can encounter, and it is great to be trained on how to properly install a car seat followed by making sure children are buckled the correct way. “I am proud of our team members that received this certification and took the time to learn more,” stated ER Operations Supervisor Scott Banes. The certification is through the program “Safe Kids Worldwide”. To sign up for the program  or find certified techs near you visit the website at cert.safekids.org .

For Kansas Citians, a day filled with love, smiles, fun, and excitement turned chaotic, frightening, and tragic in an instant. In the middle of all of this, we want to acknowledge and highlight the role the KC Scout TMC and Emergency Response team played in supporting Kansas City’s parade day traffic needs. They helped prepare for, actively monitor, and provide responsive traffic operations throughout the day. Preparations Preparations for a parade celebrating a national win start long before the final game takes place. To put it in perspective, thirty-four local police agencies were utilized to provide the 850 officers needed to manage the security and escort needs. The Army National Guard provided transportation for Chiefs staff along the route. Over twenty streets and key areas had to be blocked off with barricades, portable bathroom locations setup, press areas and reunification areas established, backup emergency resources stationed near the route, and an Emergency Operations

Being an emergency response operator is a thrilling job full of new obstacles every single day. Intermediate Communications Specialist Matthew Rinehart and Intermediate Communications Specialist/Scout Communications Lead Katie Manzke were eager to learn about what all the job entails. Rinehart is new to MoDOT and is spending time with various departments within the organization to have a better idea of the wide range of jobs, opportunities, and operations that are offered. During the winter they embarked on a ride along with Emergency Response Shift Supervisor Edward Jackson. Rinehart and Manzke enjoyed getting to see the day-to-day operations of an ER operator and learning about all of the various situations they can encounter. During the ride along they were able to help multiple customers and practice speaking over the radio reading off the location of the customer and their license plate. “ I was glad we could be there for people in scary situations where they were alone and needed