Police to no longer act as first responders
By:Jennifer Misthal, Journal Inquirer
03/27/2006
EAST WINDSOR - Police officers will no longer arrive first at medical scenes in town, the police chief announced recently, calling the decision a necessary cost-saving measure.
Instead, the Police Department will soon be designated an optional responder rather than a first responder to such scenes, meaning officers will only respond to the most severe medical emergencies in town, Police Chief Edward J.
DeMarco said recently.
The East Windsor Ambulance Association, the town's two volunteer fire departments, and Tolland County Mutual Aid will continue to serve as the town's first responders.
This new policy - already approved by the Police Commission - will be enacted once it is written, which DeMarco said will be within the next few weeks.
DeMarco did not specify how much he hopes to save by having his officers no longer act as first responders. But he did say the measure will reduce overtime, free up officers for patrol and to conduct investigations, and limit equipment costs.
On Wednesday DeMarco will present his proposed $2.4 million budget for 2006-07 to the Board of Finance.
Once the policy is in place, it will work in the following way: When residents dial 911, a police dispatcher will answer the call as usual, DeMarco said.
If a resident is reporting a burglary in progress, for
example, the department will respond immediately. If the caller's husband is having a heart attack, however, a police officer will not routinely respond.
Instead, the dispatcher will press a button to include Tolland County Mutual Aid on the call, DeMarco said. The dispatcher will remain on the line for the duration of the call in order to determine if police presence is necessary in case criminal activity is also found at the medical scene, he added.
At its March 8 meeting the Police Commission unanimously approved the measure to no longer have the Police Department act as a first responder to medical emergencies. It was among the department's first moves to address budgetary constraints, DeMarco said.
"In light of us getting budgetary monies that can support the level of the service this town requires, we have to look internally at how we're doing what we're doing," the chief said.
With the town's population around 10,000, the department has already had more than 4,000 calls since Jan. 1, and in 2005 the department had 18,305 calls for service.
With his officers no longer acting as first responders, DeMarco expects the department to answer 800 fewer calls.
By answering fewer calls, medical equipment such as defibrillators will not experience as much wear and tear as in the past, DeMarco said.
Currently, about $3,000 is needed to replace the defibrillators' batteries for a small portion of the units, he said.
"As things break and need replacement, I simply don't have the money," the chief said. "With our current budget picture, we go into crisis mode when a printer breaks down."
He cited the department's recent need to borrow stamps from the selectman's office in order to send out alarm ordinance violations as further evidence of the budget situation.
And not acting as first responders means officers will also not be tied up at a scene, which could reduce the amount of overtime officers earn, DeMarco said.
Many police officers are not trained as emergency medical technicians, Linda Sinsigallo, a member of the Police Commission, said recently.
Consequently, when police respond to a medical call, there is nothing they can do but monitor traffic, she said.
By not responding to all medical calls, police can focus on investigating serious crimes that occur in town, Sinsigallo said.
Before the Police Department makes the decision to opt out of being a first responder official, First Selectwoman Linda Roberts said she hopes police officials bring the matter to the Public Safety Committee for discussion.
"They really would have to make sure whatever organization take over as first responders would have the capability to do that," she said recently.
©Journal Inquirer~2006
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