Public Safety Notes: October 2024

Chief Eric Small welcomes Officer Hayleigh Lathrop to the force.

Photo: City of Sanford

By Zendelle Bouchard and Carolyn Cadigan

New officer joins SPD: The Sanford Police Department recently welcomed Hayleigh E. Lathrop to the force. A graduate of Husson University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, Lathrop has seven years of law enforcement experience at the Biddeford Police Department, was on active duty with the U.S. Air Force, and is serving in the Air National Guard. She will serve as the department’s professional development officer and reserve police officer.  

Fire Prevention Month: October is fire prevention month and Sanford firefighters have been speaking at schools and senior living facilities to spread awareness about smoke detectors and safety. “Hear a BEEP, get on your feet. Hear a CHIRP, make a change” (of batteries, that is.)

September stats:

• Sanford Police responded to a total of 62 accidents last month, 34 of which were on Main Street. 13 of the accidents involved injuries and three involved pedestrians. Three were caused by a physical impairment, four by sleepy or fatigued drivers, and one was under the influence. 21 were attributed to driver distraction. Thursday was the most crash-prone day of the week, averaging about twice as many accidents as any other day.
• Sanford Fire & EMS responded to 336 incidents in September, including eight fires and 267 emergency medical calls. Total incidents for the year are at 3,553 so far, a 6% increase over 2023.
• Dispatchers at the Sanford Regional Communications Center fielded a total of 9,311 calls for service in September, including 2,172 911 calls for the six police and fifteen fire departments they serve.

Decontamination: This week, Assistant Fire Chief Brian Watkins gave the City Council’s Public Safety Subcommittee a detailed presentation on how the department decontaminates its equipment following a call. Decontamination is imperative due to the carcinogens released during a fire, which coat gear as well as the skin of firefighters. He said a major cause of the problem is modern building materials which are primarily synthetic. “Everything today is made to make us sick,” he said. He said after decontamination, uniforms are sent to Launderite on Main Street to be cleaned due to the shortage of space at the stations. Mayor Brink asked if his presentation could be repeated at the next Council meeting so the public could view it as well.

911 dispatchers up their skills: Last week, SRCC Assistant Director Darcy Valido and Supervisor Megan Welch traveled to Augusta to attend the Center Management Certificate Program through the National Emergency Number Association. The course provided participants with new tools in operational and administrative management, as well as providing them with the opportunity to connect with other supervisors, assistant directors, and directors from all across Maine. Dispatchers Juli Ouellette and Janet Gallaher recently attended a First Responders Mental Health Resiliency course. In-house trainings for September included active shooter scenarios and boat/jet ski accidents.

911 hangups, misdials and open lines: Welch gave a presentation to the Public Safety Subcommittee on these calls. Brink said she would add it to the full Council’s agenda for a meeting later this year. One key takeaway: If you accidentally dial 911, don’t hang up – they need to know you are OK.

I’m walking here: Public Works Director Matt Hill reports that new crosswalk signs will be installed by the end of October. The work is being paid for with grant money. Some crosswalks still need to be painted, and his department may issue some parking bans to ensure the roadways will be clear when the contractor is there.

Route 4 signal: If you are concerned about getting stuck behind a big truck at the new traffic signal at the intersection of Route 4 and School Street in winter weather, the new smart light system is capable of detecting traffic coming up the hill and making the determination not to stop large trucks. Hill said he will do some testing before snow flies to see if that actually works.

Emergency alerts: The York County Emergency Management Agency is now using a wireless alert system that sends a message to mobile phones, similar to Maine State Police and National Weather Service. The wireless alert system allows York County EMA to send messages to anyone with a mobile phone and can be targeted to the entire county or an individual town or neighborhood. The alerts must be ordered by an incident commander at the scene of an emergency, said York County EMA Deputy Director Megan Arsenault. To enable your mobile phone – android or iPhone – to receive the new wireless alerts, go to settings and then to notifications.