Class 14-17 Week #6
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Week #6, Joint Operations
The class began with a demonstration of what happens when a person is “tased.” The newest Sandwich PD officer, Officer Joseph Bulmer, was “volunteered” to be the victim. Sgt. Lawrence used Officer Bulmer’s own taser, and Lt. Keene and Officer Gilrein stepped up to support the victim so that he wouldn’t fall and injure himself. The taser delivers 52,000 volts of electricity over the course of 5 seconds and completely incapacitates the recipient; Officer Bulmer screeched mightily when he was hit, and his two supporters lowered him gently to the floor mat. Recovery is fairly quick, but an arresting officer would have ample time to attach the handcuffs. Ride-along reports followed; students went out with Officers Fernandes, Leslie, Cotter, and Brunelli. Most calls involved traffic stops or minor medical emergencies, except for the man who allegedly jumped into the Cape Cod Canal to rescue his dog. Students commented on the professionalism of their officer partners and appreciated the officers’ willingness to share information. Deputy Fire Chief JJ Burke then gave a presentation on the evolution of Joint Operations between the PD and the FD; working together has streamlined operations and has allowed both departments to expedite their responses to major incidents. |
Lead Emergency Telecommunicator Josh Himelrick followed with a description of joint dispatch operations. The unit now has 9 full-time and 9 part-time staff, covering dispatch operations 24/7 and freeing up police officers to go back out on patrol. When a 911 call comes in, simulcast dispatching follows, allowing both the FD and the PD to hear and respond to the call. Response time has been reduced from approximately 3 minutes to just 17 seconds.
Sgt. Lawrence gave the class an update on the gentleman who had suffered a medical emergency at the end of the previous week’s class; Joe had surgery earlier in the week and is recovering well. Kudos to Sgt. Lawrence and Lt. Bound for their prompt response to the situation; Sgt. Lawrence, in his typical self-effacing manner, commented that he was just doing his job. But “just doing his job” probably saved a man’s life, so take the credit where credit is due. Contributing Editor, Donna Leiss |
Next week’s class is OUI enforcement, always a hugely entertaining event.
May 9th will be the tour of the Barnstable County Jail (it’s a Tuesday).
Photos courtesy of Pauline Fortin and Bob Nichols