City makes internal promotion for vacant 911 role

Photo provided by city of Springfield

Kris Inman starts May 24 in the director position.

A 25-year city employee was chosen to fill the vacant director role for the Springfield-Greene County 911 Emergency Communications Department.

Kris Inman was tapped to succeed Zim Schwartze, who became chief of the Missouri Capitol Police on Jan. 6. The appointment is effective May 24, according to a news release.

“What a spectacular opportunity this is to get to lead such a talented group of dedicated public safety professionals, particularly given my history of sitting right where they sit, doing the same job they do,” Inman said in the release. “I’m humbled and immensely proud to become the first former dispatcher here to advance to the position of director, and I love the message it sends to our staff.”

Currently the department’s training and education manager, Inman started as a telecommunicator for the department in 1994.

As director, he'll lead a 70-employee department with a budget of roughly $5.5 million. Last year, the department fielded more than 276,000 emergency calls. It dispatches for nine law enforcement agencies, including the Springfield Fire Department and Greene County Sheriff’s Office, and 13 fire agencies, such as the Springfield Fire Department, according to the release.

Inman's director salary will be $100,000 annually, according to the release.