Public Safety Update: Shooting, Fire/EMS Stats

By Zendelle Bouchard

Sanford Police Department

Shooting Incident: The SPD is investigating multiple reports of gunshots in the area of Bodwell Street late at night on Tuesday, Aug. 20. Officers immediately responded to the area. The initial investigation did not reveal any victims or injuries, but a pane of glass in the School Street bus shelter was shattered, and shell casings were found nearby. Detectives from the SPD’s Criminal Investigation Division were still on scene Wednesday morning and are following up on multiple leads to identify the shooter(s). They are asking for residents of Bodwell, School, or Church streets to check security cameras for footage around 11 pm and to contact the CID at 324-3644. This incident appears to be isolated.

Sanford Fire & EMS

Statistics: Assistant Fire Chief Rick Smith has issued reports on the numbers for the month of June. The department responded to 396 incidents, which included 11 fires and 300 EMS/rescue calls. The largest percentage of EMS incidents were falls (62), followed by unspecified sick person (47), breathing problems (30) and abdominal pain/problems (17). The department also responded to 16 unconscious or fainting individuals, 14 traffic incidents, 12 reports of chest pain and 11 cases of overdose or poisoning during the month. Other incidents requiring EMS response included diabetic problems, stroke, allergic reactions, seizures, psychiatric problems, cardiac arrest, assault, choking, animal bites and a stab or gunshot wound.

Command vehicles: Smith gave a presentation to the City Council’s Public Safety Subcommittee this month on the department’s command vehicles, which serve multiple purposes. Each vehicle is equipped with radios for multiple channels/frequencies, a command board to track all crew members working at a scene, documentation and reference guides, personal protective equipment for both fire and EMS calls, hand tools, medical equipment including a defibrillator and oxygen; and supplies including medications and wound care items.

He said on high-risk and larger incidents, multiple command vehicles are needed to run the incident. One vehicle might be for the incident commander, another for the operations commander, and the third to manage the water supply. He used the recent home fire on Channel Lane as an example where there were water and hazard issues that required multiple command vehicles to keep everything organized and everyone safe. “When we screw up, people die,” he concluded.

Sanford Regional Communications Center

Staffing: Director Bill Tower reported to the subcommittee that one of SRCC’s trainees, Sophie Clarke, is clearing training at the end of the month and a brand-new hire, Annabelle McWilliams, started Aug. 12. That leaves one open dispatcher slot still to be filled, and he has some candidates in mind. However, he said he preferred to hold off on hiring while the department is dealing with several trainees at once. He noted the very positive staffing situation at SRCC compared to other dispatch agencies in the state. Oxford County is currently below 50% staffing and is asking for volunteers from other agencies.

Training: Director of Operations Darcy Valido detailed some of the training that dispatchers have received recently. These included how to handle 911 calls from a person who has been abducted and is trapped in a vehicle; protocol for skydiving accidents; and instructions to give a caller who is unable to stop their vehicle due to a stuck accelerator.

Call volume: Valido reported the SRCC’s statistics for total calls for June and July. The agency handles all business line calls as well as emergency calls.

• Police (6 agencies covering 13 towns): 16,857
• Fire / EMS (15 agencies): 2,223
• Animal cases (13 towns): 655
• 9-1-1 calls: 5,033

NENA Conference: Supervisor Megan Welch reported on the National Emergency Number Association Conference that she attended recently, where she spoke on the role of artificial intelligence within the 9-1-1 center. She also attended many informational and training sessions and is sharing what she learned there with her fellow dispatchers.