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In The News
COUNTY'S EMERGENCY SYSTEMS TAKE BIG LEAP INTO 21ST CENTURY
Sex Offenders Arrested in Yolo Sweep
Police learn nonviolent ways to deal with mentally ill
They call it de-escalation.
In Woodland, law enforcement personnel learned this week to defuse potentially volatile encounters with mentally ill and emotionally disturbed individuals by using words instead of force.
Nineteen officers, dispatchers and security guards from across the region took part in four days of seminars and an afternoon of role playing Thursday.
Mental health professionals acted out scenarios commonly encountered by police: a suicidally depressed woman, a veteran plagued by post-traumatic stress disorder, a mother with dementia, a daughter in the midst of a manic episode. Participants had to deal with the situations.
The goal, said Michael Summers, training coordinator and a former Sacramento police officer, is to de-escalate incidents.
"Cops often don't have an understanding of how confused and frightened people can be when they're in crisis, so the biggest thing is to slow things down," he said. "We're trying to get them to have a little bit of empathy."
The region has seen at least five fatal confrontations between police and the mentally ill since 2007. The most recent was last month's deadly shooting by Placerville officers of Linda Carol Clark, who stole an ambulance from a hospital where she was getting psychiatric treatment.
The Woodland training sessions began in 2008 after the death of Ricardo Abrahams, an emotionally disturbed man who walked away from a voluntary treatment facility. Police called to check on his welfare used Tasers and batons to subdue him when he became uncooperative. He died of suffocation under restraint.
This week's training at the Woodland Community and Senior Center was hosted by Woodland police and funded by Yolo County's Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Department.
Lecturers included a psychiatrist who used an actual brain to show how bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and depression occur.
A panel of mental health consumers and their families spoke, and an officer who is also a psychologist discussed post-traumatic stress disorder among police involved in fatal confrontations.
On Thursday, students practiced de-escalation techniques through role playing. Summers asked them to set aside weapons and work through improvised situations.
Make sure people are communicating and understand you're a police officer, he said. Determine if they may be hearing voices. And no laying on of hands, he said.
In one session, nurse Sharon Roth acted the part of an elderly woman with dementia who couldn't find her wallet and car keys. She was convinced her adult son had stolen them and called police.
Citrus Heights Police Officer Vince Young and dispatcher Amanda Schroeder entered the room. "Thank God you're here," Roth said.
The son, played by nurse Taha Abdelwahhab, became defensive when Schroeder asked his name and requested he sit. She calmed him down.
Soon, Roth no longer knew who the officers were and became agitated. "Why are you in my house?" she asked.
"You know I'm a police officer, right?" Young asked her.
"I can see your uniform," she said.
"We're going to help you find your wallet and car keys," he told her calmly.
She agreed.
Young said afterward he found the role playing useful.
"All the training we do should incorporate some kind of role playing," he said. "It puts you there more than listening to somebody talk."
The actors were so good, he said, that he soon forgot he was in front of peers and felt immersed in the situation.
Roth said she had helped found the first crisis intervention training in the state in San Jose in 1999. Paramedics respond to medical emergencies, but officers respond to mental health crises, she said.
Having a trained crisis intervention officer there makes a difference. Those who call 911 can ask for one, she said.
"There will always be tragic incidents between police and mental health consumers," said Summers.
"But we can try to lessen them and educate for better outcomes."
© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.
County dispatchers recognized in April celebration
County dispatchers recognized in April celebration
Published By Daily Democrat
Created: 03/31/2010 02:30:54 AM PDT
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Dispatcher of the Year
Kristen Root |
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Dispatcher Assistant Of The Year
Scott Roberson |
Two of Yolo County's emergency dispatchers will be honored at a banquet kicking off this year's National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
For nearly two decades, the second week in April has been dedicated to the men and women working as emergency and public safety dispatchers across the nation, and this year, Kristen Root and Scott Roberson will be recognized as Yolo County's 2009 Dispatcher and Dispatcher Assistant of the Year, respectively.
Root, who has been with the Yolo Emergency Communication Agency for seven years, was selected by her peers as the 2009 Dispatcher of the Year for her contributions in the fields of training, team building, and customer service, as well as possessing an outstanding performance record over the course of her career.
Roberson, who joined the emergency communication agency in 2006, was also recognized by his co-workers as having made excellent contributions to the organization, while always exuding enthusiasm and a positive attitude.
Both Root and Roberson will be honored at the 14th annual Telecomunicator of the Year banquet, held at 6 p.m., Saturday, April 10, at the Citrus Heights Community Center, located at 6300 Fountain Square Dr. in Citrus Heights.
The event will be hosted by the Citrus Heights Police Department and will feature live music performed by the El Camino High School jazz band. Tickets to the event are on sale for $25 and can be purchased by contacting Sandy Maraviov at 916-727-5557 or smaraviov@citrusheights.net.
Woodland Fire Recieves new rescue device
Woodland firefighters receive critical new rescue device
Hydraulic cutting tool funded by local insurers
Published By Daily Democrat
Created: 03/31/2010 02:30:37 AM PDT
Firefighters at Woodland Station 3
demonstrate the cutting
capacity of the
newest
tool in their heavy extraction arsenal. (Matthew Henderson/Democrat)
It was just months ago that Woodland firefighters responded to a serious vehicle accident and found themselves at a disadvantage. A victim was trapped, but firefighters were unable to reach the patient in the car using their standard extrication techniques."Unfortunately, our equipment had suddenly become outdated and was unable to cut through the strengthened steel now used in modern cars," said Woodland Fire Chief Tod Reddish. "We eventually cut through the metal, but our rescue was delayed."
Over the last several years, auto manufacturers have strengthened cars with more durable metals, making it increasingly difficult for firefighters to cut through vehicles to rescue victims.
Independent Solutions United and Fireman's Fund Insurance Company have teamed up to award a $6,735 grant to the Woodland Fire Department for a new hydraulic cutter. It can generate 200,000 pounds of force, three times stronger than their older tool, and powerful enough to cut through the reinforced components in modern vehicles.
"As firefighters, our success is measured by rapid response times and rapid access to our patients," said Reddish. "It is imperative we reach injured victims as quickly as possible. This extrication equipment will allow us to respond to any emergency situation knowing we have the tools to provide the highest quality service."
The grant is part of a nationwide philanthropic program funded by Fireman's Fund Insurance Company. The program is designed
to provided needed equipment, training and educational tools to local fire departments."Having the right tools is critical for a successful rescue," said Kirby Wells, president of Independent Solutions United. "We're proud to help this fire department in such a tangible way, knowing so many people will benefit from this equipment for several years to come."
This is the second such grant Woodland has received. Last year, Independent Solutions and Fireman's Fund donated $7,400 for the purchase of vehicles stabilizers to use during vehicles accidents, in an effort to support emergency services in Yolo County.
9-1-1 Hero - YECA Dispatcher's SON
Injured Sea Lion finds Home; named for Yolo Sheriff's deputy
By JESSICA A. YORK/MediaNews Group
Created: 02/24/2010 05:41:34 AM PST
A sea lion that made headlines late last year for surviving an apparent gunshot to the face will soon call Vallejo's Six Flags Discovery Kingdom "home."
The 358-pound mammal, dubbed "Sgt. Nevis" after Sgt. Mike Nevis, Yolo County Sheriff's Department deputy who watched over the animal on the day it was rescued at Knights Landing in Yolo County, has been recovering at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito since Dec. 5.
A Sacramento fisherman has been arrested on animal cruelty charges related to his alleged shooting of the sea lion, and faces an upcoming court hearing, according to Associated Press reports.
Discovery Kingdom spokeswoman Nancy Chan called taking in Sgt. Nevis "an act of good will." The California sea lion will join several others, including some females, already in residence at the park's Seal Cove exhibit, Chan said.
Marine Mammal Center communications manager Jim Oswald said partnerships with the park are not unusual when rescued injured animals cannot be released into the wild. Sgt. Nevis' muzzle injuries include wounds that are healing, but will never close completely, he said.
"Sgt. Nevis will be transferred to the park in the coming weeks," Chan said. "One of the reasons is because he cannot be released back to the wild because of his injuries. We will be able to provide Sgt. Nevis with a permanent home .. and lifelong veterinary care." |
An injured sea lion struggles to get out of a net thrown over his head by rescue workers from the Marine Mammal Center in Knights Landing back on Dec. 4. The injured sea lion was first spotted on a dock in Sacramento on Nov. 12 with a wound near its right eye. Now, the animal has a new home and a new name. (Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press file photograph)
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Chan said the sea lion will be a "good fit" for the park, and that his area fans will soon be able to travel to the park to check up on him.
Sgt. Nevis, also known during a multi-week search for him as "Sammy," will have a chance to acclimate to his new home before his expected public debut, sometime during the spring, Chan said.
Oswald, of the marine center, said Sgt. Nevis is in relatively good health, and may face reconstructive surgery on his nasal passage to repair damage done there. He added that veterinarians are still deciding what will work best for the animal.
"Sgt. Nevis right now is going through a little behavioral training, which means getting used to humans who will be feeding him -- basically desensitizing him," Oswald said. "For these type of animals, the best humane thing would be to go to a facility such as Six Flags where he can live a full life. His story will resonate with people who visit. |
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Sea lion saved at Knights Landing by Yolo sheriff's deputy doing well in new home
By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen / Times-Herald
Created: 05/19/2010 02:30:21 AM PDT
Experts gave the sea lion little chance after he was shot in the face by a fisherman several months ago, but Sgt. Nevis made his debute recently as a Six Flags Discovery Kingdom permanent resident.
"We didn't think he was going to make it when we first saw him," park Animal Care Director Michael Muraco said.
He's doing well in his new home, the next best thing to his old life and the only viable option for the wounded creature, park and marine mammal experts said.
"Life in the wild was not an option for this animal, due to the two bullet holes in his face and his acclimation to humans," said Jim Oswald, spokesman for the Sausalito-based Marine Mammal Center which rescued and rehabilitated Sgt. Nevis. "We work with organizations like Six Flags to adopt these types of animals."
Park spokesman Capt. Lee Munro called Sgt. Nevis' ordeal "One of those sad/feel-good stories."
""He should be out there doing his thing, but he's able to thrive here. I don't understand some people (who would shoot such a creature)," Munro said. |
Yolo County Sheriff Michael Nevis,stayed on the scene to watch over an injured sea lion, that had been shot in the face by a fisherman, until The Marine Mammal Center's water rescue team could arrive. The sea lion, now named Sgt. Nevis, back left, was rehabilitated and has found a new home in Six Flag's Discovery Kingdom's Seal Cove. (Chris Riley/MediaNews Group file photograph) )
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The 650-pound sea lion was named for Yolo County Sheriff Sgt. Mike Nevis, who first spotted the injured animal in the Sacramento River after it was shot in November. A fisherman was arrested after admitting to shooting a sea lion in the river, though it's unknown if Sgt. Nevis is the one he shot.
The human Sgt. Nevis was at Friday's event.
"It was fantastic being reunited (with his namesake). It's remarkable the effort put into caring for him," Nevis said. "Going back and seeing him and feeding him just put chills down my spine."
"The sea lion Sgt. Nevis, who weighed about 360 when rescued, now lives in the park's Seal Cove exhibit, with several other sea lions and harbor seals, park officials said. He is the park's largest sea lion and one of the largest ever to live there, Muraco said. Park officials have taken in other rescued creatures that couldn't be returned to the wild, Muraco said.
"Three percent of rescued animals suffer from gunshot wounds or other human intervention," Oswald said, as he displayed vials containing fragments of bullets, BBs and pellets taken from animals treated at the center over the years. Sgt. Nevis' capture took several weeks, as the wounded mammal led would-be rescuers from the Sacramento River to San Francisco's Pier 39 and back, officials said. By the fourth attempt, on Dec. 5 at Yolo County's Knight's Landing, he was sick and weak enough to be successfully netted, moved to a barge and taken to the center in Sausalito. He was stabilized and brought to Discovery Kingdom in late February, park spokeswoman Nancy Chan said.
Two bullet holes remain just below Sgt. Nevis' eyes, making diving, and therefore finding food, difficult. The extent of damage to his vision is not yet known, Muraco said.
Park veterinary and marine mammal staff continue to monitor and treat his injury, Oswald said. Ways to safely close the wounds also are being discussed, he said.
Discovery Kingdom visitors will be able to see Sgt. Nevis during park operating hours, Chan said.
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Compassionate Cop
The Yolo County Sheriff’s Department motto is “Service without limitations…” A Yolo County deputy recently had the opportunity to demonstrate that it is more than just a motto when he rendered aid to an elderly woman who was stranded after she became lost and her car broke down.
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YECA to receive Help
By CRYSTAL LEE/clee@dailydemocrat.com
Created: 03/05/2009 02:31:44 AM PST
Relief is in sight for the Yolo Emergency Communications Agency in Woodland, which has long stretched the expected lifetime of its equipment while operating inside cramped quarters.
YECA plans to update its radio equipment and computer systems, and build a larger facility, to better serve Yolo County over the next 30 years.
The agency serves about 80 percent of the county, including Woodland, Winters and West Sacramento. Davis operates its own communication system.
The burden of the estimated project cost of $19.2 million will be shared by Yolo County and the cities and agencies that use the service.
Woodland approved $1.4 million of its 2009-2011 capital budget on Jan. 20 to help fund the radio improvements, the first phase of the project.
Phase one costs $6.2 million, which means 27 percent of the tab rests on Woodland. Meanwhile, Yolo County is expected to cover half of the cost, with Winters picking up 8 percent and West Sacramento paying 4 percent.
Woodland Police Chief Carey Sullivan, who represents the city on the agency's four-member board, told the City Council on Tuesday that the project's funding and scheduling will likely need to be adjusted over time.
However, the project is important for the safety of citizens, he said.
YECA handled 42,000 emergency calls, and 247,000 non-emergency calls, in 2007, Sullivan said. The agency employs 46 administrative, operational and support service positions, he said.
Yet most of YECA's radio equipment was acquired when the agency was formed in 1988 and has far exceeded its 15-year life expectancy, Sullivan said. Additionally, YECA has been using its custom-made software since 1996, and is no longer supported by the vendor, he said.
Updating the computer system will cost about $3 million, according to YECA's estimates.
The agency has also outgrown its 5,867-square-foot facility on North Cottonwood Street, he said, and is planning to build an 11,000-square-foot facility. The estimated cost for the new facility is $10 million.
YECA applied for grant funding and secured $647,478 from a regional Public Safety Interoperable Communications, which requires a 20 percent match. The Woodland Fire Department also applied for and won funding for YECA through the Department of Homeland Security. The grant offers $804,425 and requires a 20 percent match.
Despite the match requirements, however, the "grant funds do reduce the overall project costs," Sullivan stated in a report written for the City Council.
While not disputing YECA's needs, the council inquired if Woodland should consider managing its own dispatch system.
"Operationally, it is not cheaper for us to go at it alone," Sullivan said.
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