Do the police show up?

[iamvff]

Does anyone else out there have a difficult time getting the RCMP or equivelant (OPP, etc) to show up to emergency calls. We always request them to come to all MVA's and most structure fires and we have a heck of a time getting them to come. I heard a call from a local dept. in our mutual aid area and they had a pickup run head on into the blade of a municiple grader, roll on it's side and the driver of the pickup fled the scene. A half hour later I overheard the fire dept. call back to dispatch wondering how long the RCMP would be. When dispatch called back they said the RCMP didn't think they would go to the scene, just tape the truck and leave it in the ditch. Our Dept. has run into many similar situations like this and I just wondered if it is common or just a local issue.

Be Safe,
iamvff

[bestcoast]

VPD only show up to MVA's with injuries. As far as structure fire's go we usually request their attendance for traffic and keeping looky loos away. But even in those circumstance's there can be a lengthy delay.......cheers.........

[FireEMTGuy]

We have a very good working relationship with the RC's. They are on the list for callouts for MVA's and anytime we request them they always come.

[Leafs Fan]

we also have a good relationship with our city police. For most calls other than structure fires in the city they get the call through 911 before us and generally there is a couple of cruisers there at the same time we are, but for mva's on the 401 or other provincial highways the provincial police have jurisdiction and they can sometimes be a while, but that is simply due too not enough people for the area they cover.

[TiSme]

We also have a good working relationship with the RCMP. They are always out on the MVA's with us and fairly prompt when we call them for other issues (depending on there call volume and the number of personal on staff at that time).

[colin911]

Ditto from LeafsFan ... our tiered response is started through police and redirected from there. PD is tiered to most calls ... except routine medicals. But if patient is unconscious or VSA they are there. All MVC's, rescues, and structure fires for sure. Always within minutes of our arrival. Plus we have a very good rapport with them and Ambulance.

[fireman2697]

yes we tend to have the same problem with the police .
i guess it all depends what "they" consider an emergency.

[LTPVFD]

As a police dispatch supervisor, perhaps I can add some insight into this topic.

First of all, I have been a dispatcher for over 18 years. In that time, the number of calls for service have sky rocketed. At the same time, the number of police officers on the road has remained relatively constant. Not a large increase in resources to deal with the increased demand.

Second - public expectation. While television shows such as Rescue 9-1-1 did a great deal to promote emergency services, it also created an impression that there were unlimited resources to respond to calls. Unlimited police, fire, and ambulance resources. A police car, an ambulance, and a fire truck on every other street corner!! During all of these shows, they only dealt with one incident at a time, and had all the help they needed.

Police dispatching can be compared to triage at a major incident, or in a hospital emergency room. Calls are dispatched in order of priority, not in order received. Routine calls may sit for hours (or in some large centres maybe a day or two), while urgent calls are dispatched right away - including diverting officers from routine calls to urgent calls. Example - if you are enroute to a structure fire with people trapped, we will be there right away, but if you are at a dumpster fire we may be awhile.

Some departments (both fire and ambulance) call us for almost everything, while others call only if we are absolutely required. As a fire officer (my other career) I will only call the police if absolutely necessary.

With all that being said, all the places I have worked have had good relationships with all other emergency services (fire and ambulance). We do the best we can, with the resources we have available.

Hope this provides some insight into our side of the story.


LTPVFD

[JGallagher]

Well my father has told me many times that he arrives on scence before the ambulance alomt 9 times out of 10. As well that is the same for any calls that we get. See they are on the road and we are not. Unless they are on another emergency call then we are on our own. They respond to all MVAs. We dont, we may get a hand full a month and that is to do a clean up of fluid.

[Brando]

I think our relationship with the local OPP could be better. There have been a few incidents where the younger hot-shot officers and the chief or i.c didnt see eye to eye. But they are great to respond to calls and they ususally blow by us on the way to calls if required. They go to all MVC's and of course structure fires when needed.

[shaneb]

Up here in red lake we get dispatched by the O.P.P Com Center in Kenora so the local O.P.P already know we are the way. Also this sort of a small communitiy with limited criminal activity so the cops are usually sitting around. ( No Tim Horton's here LOL.) The police are always at our calls be it mva's garage fires or house fire's hell even show up for 75% of our false alarms to

[ndvfd_ff33]

Someone has to be dead or near death for our RCMP to come quickly or even in a semi-timely fashion..Generally they take their sweet ass time and get there when its good for them

[Hamp42]

For the most part, the RCMP respond. MVA's usually have more police cars than fire trucks (especially during the day or evening). They respond to structure fires at our request and are usually prompt (it is a SOG for structure and car fires that we call them).

[911Caddy]

I've experienced slow responses from both municipal Police and the RCMP. But the poor Vancouver P.D. was the slowest. If our pt was dead or drunk you had better get out a book.
Unfortunately, they are so understaffed that we frequently relied on the Fire from Hall 2 or our fellow Medics to back us up quickly.
But the working relationship with the VPD was one of the best I've experienced.

[bestcoast]

Originally posted by 911Caddy
I've experienced slow responses from both municipal Police and the RCMP. But the poor Vancouver P.D. was the slowest. If our pt was dead or drunk you had better get out a book.
Unfortunately, they are so understaffed that we frequently relied on the Fire from Hall 2 or our fellow Medics to back us up quickly.
But the working relationship with the VPD was one of the best I've experienced.

Hey Caddy does this sound familiar....
"Dispatch can you get an ETA for Code 5"
" VPD can't give an ETA at this time, we are the next call on their list"....:rolleyes: :rolleyes:
I agree they are understaffed, but it's a bit better now with the crack down on the downtown eastside and a cop on every corner.........BC.....

[LtBlondie]

Funny you ask we jsut received a memo from our Deputy who stated that the Ontario Provincial Police would no longer provide ANY information to us regarding any type of occurrence on any of our large highways.
I guess it's a safety factor

[DFCSmash]

Originally posted by LtBlondie
Funny you ask we jsut received a memo from our Deputy who stated that the Ontario Provincial Police would no longer provide ANY information to us regarding any type of occurrence on any of our large highways.
I guess it's a safety factor

Yeah, it's always way safer to roll to a multi-vehicle pileup on the 400 with no information. Oh well, they can't be sued for incompitence if they don't give any info.

I guess the fire service is the enemy now? :rolleyes: