Heroes Who Serve: 5 First Responders Keeping Mississippi Safe

Mississippi is home to dedicated first responders who go above and beyond to keep their communities safe. That’s why Patch and T-Mobile have teamed up to spotlight EMTs, firefighters and police officers who are making a difference every day.

Check out five outstanding Mississippi first responders who are making an impact. And if you know a hero who deserves recognition, we want to hear about them! Click here to nominate a first responder for a chance to be featured in our Heroes Who Serve series on Patch!

Officer Roman Sones (Oxford) — Officer Sones of the Oxford Police Department was honored with a Life Saver Award for helping prevent a suicide attempt in December 2024. On the day of the incident, Sones heard a dispatch call about a person in crisis at the downtown parking garage while on his lunch break. Despite not being a patrol officer, he responded immediately, spending 20 minutes calmly talking with the individual before walking them safely to a waiting ambulance. The Mississippi Department of Mental Health also awarded Sones a Certificate of Appreciation for his role in saving the individual’s life. Read more here.

Cpl. Bradley Starling and K-9 Charlie (Monroe County) — Cpl. Starling and his K-9 partner Charlie received the Medal of Valor for their heroic role in locating three missing children in July 2024. Called in by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the pair joined the search after the children had been missing for about two hours. Within 15 minutes of arriving, Charlie picked up a scent from an article of clothing, tracked 200 yards and found the children, who were safely returned home. Their swift response and teamwork brought a frightening situation to a safe and heartening end. Read more here.

Firefighters Karl McCaffery and Hayden McDougal (Vicksburg) — McCaffery and McDougal, both members of the Culkin Volunteer Fire Department, were lauded for saving the life of a toddler who nearly drowned. The two were the first to arrive at the Pecan Ridge Apartments pool, where 2-year-old Genesis White was found unresponsive on the pool deck. They immediately began resuscitation efforts and successfully revived the child on the scene. Genesis was taken to a hospital in Jackson and quickly returned home with her family. Read more here.

EMT Madalynn Bogolin (Jackson County) — In January 2024, Bogolin was honored with the Acadian Ambulance President’s Performance Award for her dedication to patient care, team support and community service. With three years of EMS experience, Bogolin joined Acadian’s Harrison County operations in 2024 and quickly became a valued team member. Known for creating helpful resources for new hires and supporting colleagues, she also enrolled in Acadian’s Paramedic class to further her skills. Her peers and supervisors in South Mississippi have praised her compassion, work ethic and leadership. Read more here.

Lt. Joe Kennedy (Hattiesburg) — Lt. Kennedy of the Hattiesburg Police Department received the First Responder of the Year Award at the 2024 Mississippi Public Safety Summit for saving a baby’s life while off duty. During the incident in January 2023, Kennedy provided emergency medical care to the infant at a restaurant in Petal, acting quickly and effectively in a life-threatening situation. His actions were praised by state leaders, including Gov. Tate Reeves, who called Kennedy a hero whose efforts will never be forgotten. Read more here.

We’re fortunate in Mississippi to have first responders like these working tirelessly to keep us safe. If you know a local hero who deserves recognition, we want to hear about them! Click here to nominate them to be featured on Patch!