The Burlington County Commissioners recognized two Burlington County Central Communications public safety telecommunicators on Wednesday in honor of their outstanding service assisting two children who called 9-1-1 after becoming lost in a forest.
Public Safety Telecommunicators Crystal Leaper and Kevin Reilly were honored, along with the Pemberton Township Police Department, during the Commissioners’ public meeting on Wednesday evening.
“The public safety telecommunicators at Central Communications may go unseen but their skills and service are essential to the safety of both our residents and first responders,” said Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel, the liaison to the County Department of Public Safety. “This incident is the perfect example of their importance and how their service made a difference and helped avert danger.”
The incident happened last year when Central Communications received a 9-1-1 call from 9-year-old Olivia Berrien, who reported she and her friend were lost in a forest in Pemberton Township.
PST Leaper fielded the initial call and was able to keep the two girls calm while starting the process of identifying their location with Central Communications GPS technology. Pemberton Township police were also alerted and responded to the area of Pole Branch Forest where the girls’ cell phone signal was traced.
The 9-1-1 call was next transferred to PST Reilly, who was able to teach one of the girls how to open and use a compass app on her cell phone. Using the app for navigation assistance, the telecommunicator was able to guide the girls through the woods to a nearby Wissahickon Trail, where Pemberton Township Police Officer Tyler Reynolds-Vezos located them. The officer returned both girls safely home.
In recognition of their service, the Commissioners presented certificates of recognition to both telecommunicators and the Pemberton Township Police Department for their respective roles in locating the children.
Olivia Berrien was also given a certificate of recognition for her bravery and composure during the incident.
“It was a positive outcome to a scary situation that highlights the importance of our public safety telecommunicators, their expertise and the duties they perform,” said Commissioner Eckel. “They are essential first responders and all of Burlington County relies on them every day.”
PST Leaper has worked at Central Communications since July 2014. PST Reilly began his career with the County as a juvenile corrections officer in 2009. He joined Central Communications in March 2020.
Burlington County was the first county in New Jersey to provide police and fire dispatch to all of its towns, and it is the only county in New Jersey to provide dispatch while also serving as the answering point for all 911 calls.
During the first nine months of 2025, Central Communications telecommunicators fielded more than 780,000 9-1-1 and 10-digit emergency calls. They also dispatched 526,609 police incidents, 50,788 emergency medical incidents and 26,842 fire incidents.