NEWS RELEASE: January 3 , 2008
FROM: The Kansas Highway Patrol
CONTACT: LT John Eichkorn 785-296-6800
TechTRP Edna Buttler (785)296-6800
Lieutenant Marmon Retires from Patrol
Colonel William Seck, Superintendent of the Kansas Highway Patrol, has announced that Lieutenant John Marmon retired from the Patrol on December 1, 2007, after serving the citizens of Kansas for more than 27 years.
Marmon joined the Patrol in 1980 and was assigned to road patrol duties in the Emporia area. He was promoted to Trooper II in 1989. In 1990, the Patrol created its first Narcotics Detection K-9 Unit. Marmon was the agency's first dog handler with his new canine partner, Murphy Brown. Marmon became a sergeant of the K-9 unit in 1992. In October 1993, Marmon attended school in Lincoln, Nebraska, to become a certified instructor for explosive detection, patrol, and narcotics detection canines. That same year, the Patrol added explosive detection and patrol dogs, making the K-9 unit a full-service Police Service Dog Unit (PSDU). Marmon became the K-9 supervisor/instructor for the Highway Patrol in January 1994. Two years later, he attended Utah POST (Police Officer Standards and Training) school in Salt Lake City, Utah, to become a certified evaluating judge for police service dogs. Marmon maintained his certification as an evaluating judge until 2007. In 1998, he was promoted to second lieutenant.
In 2000, Marmon transferred to the Patrol's Emergency Operations division. He became a lieutenant in 2003, and transferred to the Patrol's Homeland Security Operations division in 2004, the year the division was formed. He remained in Homeland Security until his retirement.
As a member of the Patrol, Marmon was a field training officer for a trooper trainee in 1989. Between 2001 and 2007, he was an instructor for trooper recruits and motor carrier inspector recruits, teaching classes on critical incident command and domestic terrorism. He also instructed classes on weapons of mass destruction and the incident command system during in-service training for the agency's commanders and senior management staff.
Through the federal Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), Marmon was deployed to Hancock County, Mississippi, between October 21 and November 14, 2005, to assist with relief from Hurricane Katrina. In Mississippi, Marmon served as the Deputy Planning Section Chief. As a member of the Incident Management Team of Kansas, Marmon was deployed to two major events in Kansas in 2007. Between June 1 and June 12, 2007, he served as the Planning Section Chief in Greensburg/Kiowa County following the devastating EF-5 tornado. Between July 6 and July 17, 2007, he was deployed to Montgomery County as Planning Section Chief in response to major flooding and an oil spill.
Marmon received numerous awards and recognition during his 27-year career with the Patrol. In 1982, Kansas Gas & Electric presented Marmon with an Outstanding Response in a Life-Threatening Emergency award for resuscitating a security guard who lost consciousness while providing security at a protest. In 1992, Governor Joan Finney presented Marmon with a Governor's Certificate of Recognition for the formation of the Patrol's K-9 unit and exceptional narcotics detection performed with his dog, Murphy Brown. The Kansas Emergency Management Association presented Marmon with Instructor of the Year awards in 2004 and 2006, and he received an honorable mention for the award in 2007. At his retirement, Marmon was presented with a Commander's Commendation from Colonel Seck for emergency management training across Kansas. He also was presented with a Plaque of Appreciation from the Kansas Division of Emergency Management and a Certificate of Appreciation from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, also recognizing his commitment to emergency management training.
Marmon is a member of the Kansas Emergency Management Association (KEMA) and is a Kansas Certified Emergency Manager (KCEM). He is also a member of the Kansas Peace Officers Association (KPOA).
Marmon is also an active community member. As a member of Christ the King Church in Topeka, he serves on the Parish Council and the Christ the King School Advisory Council. He has served as Deputy Grand Knight, Grand Knight, and most recently Membership Director with the Knights of Columbus. Through Christ the King, Marmon served on a medical mission to Guatemala in 2004. In February and November 2007, Marmon returned to Hancock County, Mississippi, to participate in home rebuilding missions with the First United Methodist Church of Wichita. He also is an assistant leader for Troop 7032 Junior Girl Scouts.
Marmon is a graduate of Garnett High School in Garnett, Kansas. He holds an associate's of arts in police science from Allen County Community College and a bachelor's of business administration from Baker University. Before joining the Patrol, Marmon was a patrolman with the Garnett Police Department.
The Patrol wishes John the best in his retirement!