UC Dispatcher receives award for role in locating missing child

A University of Cincinnati Emergency Communications Dispatcher recently received an award from Rave Mobile Safety for her use of an emergency alert in locating a missing child.

On Jan. 12, 2025, a fire alarm went off in Tangeman University Center. As officers were ensuring everyone had safely exited the building, a UC staff member told officers that his 6-year-old child could not be found.

UC Emergency Communications Dispatcher Kylee Beccaccio contacted the lieutenant on duty and told him that she had an emergency alert ready to send campuswide about the missing child.

“I was inspired to request permission to send the emergency alert because of the training I received. Emergency alerts can be used in many ways, and this is a very good example of how we use it. When I sent the alert out Cincinnati Police called and told me that they were sending extra units to help us,” Beccaccio said.

Within 20 minutes, the child was located and reunited with the child’s father. The emergency alert, sent via Rave Alert, the system that UC Public Safety uses to send emergency alerts, helped officers located the child so quickly.

“This was a very good feeling knowing the more the merrier. CPD made contact with the lost child which then felt a very good sign of relief,” Beccaccio said.

The Rave SmartSave Award recognizes those who use Rave products in a way that positively impacts an emergency call and/or response. This is the third time a UC emergency communications dispatcher has received a SmartSave award.

“This is a good example of using a tool in a unique way in a unique situation. We rarely deal with missing kids outside of football games, so alerting as many people as possible is harder than just a football announcement. With an alert, Kylee was able to notify a huge amount of people in the area all at once, whether they were inside or outside since it went to text, signage and desktops,” said Ted Langdon, Emergency Communications Manager. “I feel that it shows quick thinking and understanding of the resources we have available to help the community as rapidly as possible.”

Featured image at top: From left, UC Public Safety Director and Chief of Police Eliot Isaac, Emergency Communications Dispatcher Kylee Beccaccio and Emergency Communications Manager Ted Langdon pose with Beccaccio's SmartSave Award. Photo by Kelly Cantwell.