By Audrey Levine Staff Writer
For those with disabilities, immediate and efficient help in emergencies is often crucial, and with a new information-gathering system in place, the Hillsborough Township Police Department is better prepared to respond appropriately to households with disabled residents.
To this end, the Police Department is collecting emergency information from families caring for children or adults with special needs.
”We are trying to anticipate needs within our community and ensure that our officers have the tools and resources available to provide the best possible service to our residents and their families,” said Police Chief Paul Kaminsky.
Chief Kaminsky said residents with special needs children or adults under their care are being asked to fill out a series of forms discussing the medical diagnosis, in addition to other information for identification.
With all this information available, Chief Kaminsky said, police will be better able to serve all residents in an emergency.
”Having this information will save lots of valuable time when an officer is responding,” he said.
Through the emergency data sheets, Chief Kaminsky said the police would like to collect basic identifying information, emergency contacts, means of communication, best ways to interact with disabled family members, fears such people may have when being approached, and sensory issues.
”Some people might have a fear of light or a fear of loud noises,” he said. Knowing this will tell officers if they should avoid flashing lights or loud sirens when tending to the person in need, as well as providing an understanding of how best to approach in an emergency.
According to Chief Kaminsky, the information will be saved in a computerized dispatch system that a dispatcher can immediately access in the event a person in the database is lost or missing, or if an officer is responding to a call from the home address.
”We believe that this information will help us provide efficient responses to any missing or lost special needs child or adult,” he said.
Much of the concern for those with special needs, Chief Kaminsky said, comes from a growing number of children in the community who suffer from autism, a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication.
Chief Kaminsky said he and his officers have attended several training courses on dealing with those suffering from autism and are becoming better equipped to care for people affected by the disease.
Chief Kaminsky said that brochures about theprogram were first handed out Jan. 5 during an event with Care-to-Share Support Network, an organization that offers meetings and other events for families with special needs children.
In the past few weeks, he said, there has not been a large response from residents because the program is still in its early stages. As more people begin to fill out the forms and officers begin working with the database, he said, the department will be more vocal about it.
”With the database, we won’t have to take time soliciting this information (in an emergency),” Chief Kaminsky said. “This information is instrumental for officers in the field.”
The emergency forms are available at police headquarters in the municipal building on South Branch Road. They will soon be available on both the Police Department’s Web site, hillsboroughpolice.org, and the township’s Web site, hillsborough-nj.org.
