Women to the rescue: A look at female first responders in Southeast Missouri

It's often been said that in times of emergency, police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other first responders are the ones running toward danger when everyone else is running away. Someone's got to do the job -- and many of those workers are men.

In the 1970s, only 2 percent of local law enforcement officers were women, and today, that number is closer to 13 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. It's a sizable growth, but women are still very much the minority, and few of them reach supervisory positions. Even fewer women are firefighters: about 4.5 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Here at Flourish, we admire women with the courage to follow their dreams, even if others say they can't, even if they face adversity, even if they're alone in their pursuit. So naturally, we were dying to meet some of the women working locally as first responders. How did they land where they are? What keeps them motivated? What are the ups and downs of their jobs? Here's what two women had to say.

'You've gotta be tough'

Detective Sgt. Della Moore with the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department. (Laura Simon)

__Detective Della Moore__

Tora Angle, resource officer with the Cape Girardeau Police Department at Cape Central High School. (Laura Simon)

__Bollinger County Sheriff's Office__

Detective Della Moore was injured on the job in January, but she didn't let it get to her. It's a risk she accepted when she committed to a career in law enforcement. And besides, she knows it could have been worse.

"You never know what the day is going to hold, and unfortunately, there could be a chance that I'm not going to come home," she says.

Moore, a Scott City native, joined the Bollinger County Sheriff's Office in 2009 and worked her way up to her current role as detective sergeant. She's also on the Cape Girardeau and Bollinger County Major Case Squad.

Being a detective was always her goal, she says -- she wanted to help people, especially women and children, and she's not afraid of confrontation.

Cutline:Tora Angle, resource officer with the Cape Girardeau Police Department at Cape Central High School. (Laura Simon)

"One day I may deal with minor harassment calls, and the next day I'm dealing with people shooting at each other. What I love about my job is being able to help people, and getting child molesters and pedophiles off the street," she says. "The joy of sending child molesters to prison is great. It's good not only for me, but for the child. Every one of (these children) takes a piece of my heart."

Moore admits it's "very difficult" to be a woman in law enforcement. Her workplace is great, she says, but she does encounter men who don't like taking orders from a woman. And then there's the pressure she puts on herself.

"You have to do the job and then do it 10 times over to prove yourself," she says. "You've gotta be tough. Don't expect to be treated any softer or kinder because you're a female, because it's actually the opposite. If someone thinks they can take an inch or mile from you, they're going to take it."

Moore has more than proven herself locally and statewide. In July 2013, she was named Deputy Sheriff of the Year by the Missouri Sheriff's Association -- the first female to receive this award statewide. She accepted the award at the end of that month during a statewide conference in Springfield, Missouri. She also made history while attending the Law Enforcement Academy at Southeast Missouri State University, where she became the first woman to receive the academy's driving award.

Moore, a 30-year-old wife and mother, credits her faith and family for keeping her motivated when things get tough.

"You have to have a close personal relationship with God to keep going. It does take so much out of you to keep going," she says. "People have no idea what it's like to worry about not coming home at the end of the day, of ultimately dying. And it's disheartening to see what kids are going through. Seeing drug abuse in a child's house rips my heart out, it really does. You have to be able to have somebody bigger and better you can look to."

And in the end, it's all worth it, says Moore: "It's really rewarding to send people to prison that deserve it, and to help people that cannot help themselves."

'I like being there for people'

__Tora Angle, police officer/patrolman and school resource officer__

__Cape Girardeau Police Department__

Tora Angle never had any doubt that she would be a police officer someday. She wanted to help people by being there in times of tragedy, and going to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Cadet Academy confirmed that law enforcement was exactly what she wanted to do -- so she pursued it full-force.

After graduating from Meadow Heights High School, she attended Mineral Area College and Mineral Area Law Enforcement Academy, then completed her bachelor's degree in criminal justice and psychology while working as a full-time emergency dispatcher. In 2013, she became an officer at the Cape Girardeau Police Department, and in January, she took on an additional role as a school resource officer at Cape Central High School.

"I like being with kids, and I enjoy making a difference," says Angle, who is 25.

She also hopes her work will make a difference in the way people view the police, whether they're afraid or distrustful or just unaware of all that being a police officer encompasses.

"There are some negative social views on policing, and I want to show that we're human beings," says Angle. "I'm a wife and an aunt and a daughter to somebody, just like you, but I wear a uniform when I go to work."

Detective Sgt. Della Moore with the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department. (Laura Simon)

When she's not patrolling the school, Angle is likely answering and responding to calls, taking police reports, going to court and doing patrols throughout the community.

"The thing about law enforcement that keeps you enjoying your job is that it's something different every day," she says. "You never know what's going to happen. Sometimes I don't have time to eat lunch -- I'll work for 12 hours with nothing to eat -- and other times there are only a few calls."

She says her favorite thing about the job is helping the community, just like she set out to do.

"When people appreciate us, it makes me enjoy my job even more," she says. "A lot of times I feel like we're there to help people, especially in a tragic situation where people have lost a loved one. I like being there to help them cope with that. We can only do so much as officers, but I like helping them through a traumatic situation, or if someone has been in an accident, I just like being there for them."

Angle says there were at least eight or 10 other women with her in police academy, and so far she hasn't encountered any negative experiences as a female in law enforcement. Still, she says the job isn't for everyone.

Cutline:Detective Sgt. Della Moore of the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department. (Laura Simon)

"What I would think is most difficult is missing out on family time because we work shift work. We work holidays, nights and all different hours," she says. "What I would tell anyone is to make sure it's something you want to do, and if it is, you will love it. If not, try to figure that out before you get into it. Do a ride-along with the police department, is my advice."