Police advise securing garage door openers

The Capital-Journal

A CHALLENGING RESPONSEIt is 2 a.m. when your unit is dispatched to the medical unit of the state prison for a "possible stroke." As you approach the facility, the brightly lit prison and grounds are juxtaposed against the dark backdrop of the night sky. Beyond a sign that reads "No unauthorized vehicles or personnel beyond this point.. .State Department of Corrections... State Prison," a vehicle awaits to escort you to your point of entry into the facility.Most, if not all, corrections and other law enforcement agencies would look positively upon you oryour EMS agency's desire to learn more about their systems and procedures so you can provide appropriate and seamless care. You, or someone within your agency who is authorized and an appropriate representative to do so, should contact any agency or facility that might fall within your response area and communicate with them your desire to be familiarized with their agency and facility. They may send a designated interagency liaison to provide you with this information, or even invite you to visit the facility to gather priceless first-hand specifics, for which there is truly no substitute.- Locking your car and garage will delay criminals and cause them to use noisier methods that will draw attention, increasing the chance of apprehension.Contacts: Johanna McIntosh, APR Public Relations (780) 937-8592 johanna@mcintoshpr.com- Turn on lights at night so your property can be seen.Logistical concerns regarding the passage in and out of correctional facilities can be especially pronounced for county and state facilities due to their size, capacity and configuration. The specific configuration of a facility varies based on the prison model used. The congregate system of confinement of the early 19th century later evolved to become the basis for United States penitentiaries today, and prisons built based on this congregate system are constructed in several ways. In order to minimize confusion while navigating in and out of the facility, familiarize yourself with the layout and procedures of the correctional facilities within your primary response area. This will maximize your efficiency in time management and ultimately your patient care.Caring for an incarcerated patient poses several challenges for responders. Logistical and operational problems may arise, and treatment modalities may need to be adjusted. More important, your entire mind-set may need to be modified in order to appropriately care for such a patient There are many factors that can interfere with providing adequate patient care to the incarcerated population, including the potential for intangible moral, psychological and personal issues to surface. These ever-present interpersonal issues are more complex than the logistical and operations concerns you may encounter in caring for these patients, such as extended times to initial patient contact or providing care for a patient restrained in handcuffs and leg irons. Careful consideration of all these potential problems is essential in providing appropriate care to the incarcerated population, and they should be addressed together, each related to - and dependent upon - the next

- Report all suspicious activity.