VBT sends press release explaining how police, fire depts. cooperate

On April 1, Van Buren Township Interim Public Safety Director Greg Laurain sent out a press release explaining how police and fire departments are working together to provide “an even more efficient level of comprehensive service.”
Interim Director Laurain said historically the police and fire departments have worked well together, but now under his guidance and that of Fire Chief Dan Besson they are collaborating like never before.
He said a few of the newly implemented practices of cooperation include:
• Hydrant Preparation: Police officers now carry hydrant wrenches in their police cars so if they arrive at the scene of a fire before the fire engine and fire fighters, they can prepare the hydrant.
“When fire personnel arrive, precious minutes can be saved, and fire fighters can immediately get to work,” Captain Laurain said.
• Directing Traffic: When an incident requires fire fighters to concentrate on life safety, police officers will handle routing traffic around the incident until fire fighters become available.
Similarly, and as incidents allow, fire fighters will transition into position to relieve the police officers from traffic control points. Doing so assists police officers so they are able to get back to their investigation, the issues of a serious car crash, or other law enforcement duties.
Both VBT police and fire fighters are trained in national, state, and local traffic safety procedures. Utility 2, a support vehicle housed at fire headquarters, is well equipped with barricades, traffic cones, safety flares, and signs. Both police and fire wear conspicuous traffic vests while directing traffic in high-speed zones in order to gain the driver’s attention.
• Immediate Response: On-duty officers trained as fire fighters now carry their fire gear in the trunks of their police cars. While on duty as a police officer, if there is a need to respond in the capacity of a fire fighter, an immediate response is now available, Laurain said.
“This new practice represents the best use of resources available, while an added bonus is fiscal conservation: If a cross-trained police officer transitions into a fire responder, no blended-rate hourly cost increase is incurred,” Laurain said.
“Instead, these employees are serving in the capacity of a public safety officer,” Laurain said.
“This collaborative effort to implement these new practices enhance police and fire services and provide an even more efficient and comprehensive level of safety and service to residents,” Laurain concluded.