Public Safety depts

[DoD Police]

When I was living out in N. California, the city that I lived in had a "public Safety" dept which was the police, fire and medical services combined into one operation. Each officer was assigned a take home car, and worked regularly scheduled shifts. Officers responded to fire calls from home in city patrol cars. Some were assigned to go to one of 2 stations to get trucks to bring to the scene; others went directly to the scene. Medical calls were handled by one team of 3 officers that rotated through the ranks. Each person was a fully POST certified police officer, fully trained fire fighter, and each was also an EMT, some were paramedics. This is the only place that I have seen do this type of operation. Does this happen else where and what are your thoughts of this type of operation?

[ 11-02-2001: Message edited by: DoD Police ]

[SGT Dave]

AAAAAAGH! Public Safety!!!! Yeah a larger department nearby is pubic safety (sp?) (police/fire) The road troops hate it, but several have enough years in they can't drop out. The city has spent so much to implement it, and so much DEFENDING it, they wouldn't back out now, if they had to, even when it "falls on it's face."

On at least two occasions, I have been working when the county had to go in and take calls for them when they had large fires. Granted, we are all on the same team, and I've had to ask SO to come into my town before, however, this agency has so many officers on shift, they are tripping over each other on the beats, and it never happened when the two were separate. One time they had a "bar fight" with a stabbing, and couldn't get anyone free to take it. Duuuh… The SO handled the call.

Downsides-
*OFTEN, they have to work a fire, and then change right back into their uniforms and work the road, stinking, drenched in sweat, and totally exhausted.
*It is common knowledge among all that a large fire will reduce the number of patrol officers to nil. Use your imagination to see how this could be exploited.
*Fire suppression is a professional specialty just like LE. It is rare their to find someone who is adept at both. Yeah, they're "qualified" but …
*On top of all your gear, do you want to have to deal with wet, filthy stinking turnout gear in your trunk???
*This department is so "committed to the mission statement of public safety, blahblahbalh…" the guys can't even say "Police."
>Banging on a door-occupant says "Who is it?" They have to say "Public Safety Officers!" GMAFB!
>On the radio, they have to say "Headquarters" or "Station 1","Station 2", "Station 3", etc., NOT the "police department."

Most professional LEOs and professional fireman don't believe in this or want it. The only ones that DO like the idea-young fireman who think it'll be "cool" to carry a gun, young LE applicants who'll tell them anything for a job, and the Chief (for obvious reasons.)

The Chief was formerly a major in a large agency in an adjoining county. He was known for his negative comments about public safety, UNTIL he applied for the Chief's position. When asked about this "inconsistency" he said "I really want that job as Chief of Public Safety…" When asked more directly, "But you said it was stupid before" he said "I reeeeeaaaaallllllllly want that job as Chief of Public Safety…"

Also, we know that it came about for political reasons ("Look humble citizen taxpayer, look at what we've done for you-instead of paying 160 people to do separate jobs, we've gotten 100 people to do BOTH jobs-we saved you 60 salaries!!!!! Don't you love us???)

Oh, and BTW, they do NOT get paid two salaries-their starting pay is "decent" but less than ours, where we do ONE job.

I worked for a small agency that went Pubic Safety. I fought it tooth and nail, and they finally compromised, and allowed all there to remain "non-pubic safety" but told us that anyone who crosstrained would ALWAYS have the advantage on promotions. ALL new hires would be PS. I still have the newsclippings where the Chief and Town Manager made their big release to the public, telling them how much more they were getting for their tax dollars, blahblahblah. It fell on it's face, and they are again separate.

During Arson and related training, I have "fought fire." I want no part of it. Firefighters are HEROES in my book. IMHO, some are meant to do our job, and others are dedicated to that job. Personally, I have never been "scared" in LE (and I've seen some SH** guys) I 've been "concerned," I've had butterflies while enroute to calls, but I'd say "scared" is a good word for what I felt when, on a training burn, we were on the floor of a burning house, and you couldn't see your hand in front of your face-you couldn't even see the door, which was nailed open, with the sun behind it. Another time (also training burn) I was "point man" on a hose, and we entered through a back door and upon throwing the water to the rolling fire, it steamed up, blinded me (just like being OC'ed), and the fire rolled over us and SINGED my neck hairs, and gave me a first degree burn on the back of my neck. The water didn't seem to phase it.

It is BS to try to combine them, to get more votes. The two should be separate. My NSHO. Most large agencies that have went Pubic Safety have dropped it.

Sarge 465-wasn't your agency PS at one time?????

[Mike Tx]

So in a nutshell, if the pukes don't get you, the politicians will.

[SGT Dave]

So in a nutshell, if the pukes don't get you, the politicians will.

We have a Bingo! One of the MANY reasons cops get an "us vs. them" mentality.

I think hanging around us has started working on you.

[SpecOpsWarrior]

I'm with Dave, keep em separate. If I wanted to be a hose jockey I would have joined the FD.

As for the po-lice/fire/EMT, I say a big HELL NO!

In my current job I can roll up to a wreck and watch the EMT's patch the folks up and scrape people up off the pavement, but there aint no way I'm scraping someone up off the pavement.

[ 11-03-2001: Message edited by: SpecOpsWarrior ]

[Sarge465]

Yes Dave, my department was public safety and it SUCKS. Nuff said

[Evan]

The State of Alaska Airport Safety Officers are both POST Law enforcement officers and certified fire fighters. Some of the officers are also EMT or Paramedic trained, but not all. They ae required to be certified as both L.E. and FF's. However, their shifts and scheduling are split up so that officers work as L.e.(only) then rotate to work as Firefighter(only). Thus eleminates all officers responding to a fire/crash/hazmat call and no police service and vice versa.
The Fairbanks Police tried to go Public Safety. The Mayor at the time did not "reappoint" the Chief of Police and the Fire Chief and Hired a Director of Public Safety. Both agencies remained seperate form one another with a Deputy Chief in charge of their respective Departments. The two Deputy Chief's reported to the PS Director. It worked for about two years. After the First Yr. the PS Director resigned, so then the Mayor acted as the Director of PS. Last spring the Mayor and Counsel done away with the PS title, and promoted the Dep. Chief's to Chief's.
I know of one city back home in Wyoming that had gone to PS. The Police Chief was appointed "Fire Chief". But the Dep. Chief actually ran the day to day operations of the FD. The two agencies were not combined and still seperated.

[Chippie Explorer]

In California I know of two agencies that are Police/Fire: Sunnyvale Public Safety, and the Ontario Airport Public Safety.

The Sunnyvale guys work 3 years on fire, then three years on police. Ontario Airport work 24 hours shifts where 8 hours are on police duties, while the rest are fire.
http://www.ci.sunnyvale.ca.us/public-safety/

[DesertRat]

I am so sorry. This has nothing to do with the topic, but, out here, Chippie has an entirely different meaning than it has in California. It took me moment to re-gain my composure when I read that name. Am I the only one ??????

[jcpaddon]

What does chippie mean in California?

[Sig220Man]

Originally posted by jcpaddon:
What does chippie mean in California?

CHiP (or "Chippie") = member of the California Highway Patrol

Also the name of a truly horrible cop show from the late 70's and early 80's.

[SGT Dave]

Hey, CHiPs was okay, for TV anyway.

My biggest gripe with the show was that it fostered the belief that even when taking down violent felons you only had to put your hand on the grip of your STILL HOLSTERED weapon. (Oh my-never draw your weapon!)

I think alot of citizens have that belief anyway, so a lot of people are shocked when introduced to the real world.

I've also noticed that rookies (okay..."new hires with little experience") have a hard time understanding that it is okay under SOME circumstances. They have been beat and berated not to, and how the complaint process works, that they afraid to EVEN WHEN ITS CALLED FOR!

[DesertRat]

It must just be a Vegas thing. Here, a "Chippie" is a married guy's girlfriend.

[Don]

Hey Chippie Explorer, don't let the "dirty old men" (I mean DESERT RAT) on here get to ya. All us kaliphornia folks knowed whut ya wuz talkin' 'bout!

Something about working "Sin City" must have gotten to him!

[Chippie Explorer]

Yeah that must be a vegas thing, but it's sure pretty funny