A Message from a Police Chief
Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2023 5:30 pm
Pretty straightforward in these days of wanting all instant info on incidents, and then speculation based on no details. This should apply to any municipal police department.
This was posted on the MHPD Facebook page. I'm sure @AV8R would understand and appreciate this:
Citizens of Marquette Heights and Public at Large,
With social media being more and more prevalent in our daily lives and with information being shared instantly with the click of a button, it's to be expected that people have become accustomed to knowing things right away. Unfortunately that also leads to some negative interactions for first responders. When you see our flashing lights in your neighborhood it's only natural to be curious about what's going on. But please consider that this situation could be one of the worst days of your neighbors lives.
We as first responders often get questioned about what certain calls pertained to, what the outcome was, etc. It becomes difficult to repeatedly explain that we can't share this information, simply because it's not ours to share, not to mention the HIPAA regulations. If there is a safety or security concern for the community, we will gladly let you know. But most calls we respond to are peoples private matters, medical or otherwise. Imagine if it were you calling 911 for a situation in your home and you found out the people that were there to assist you discussed the details with anyone who wanted to know.
Another thing to consider is that many calls we respond to affect us in major ways. Being asked to relive and explain what happened on these calls can be very difficult for us as we're trying to process and handle our own emotions on the situation. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), roughly 1 in 3 first responders develop PTSD. Dealing with extreme medical emergencies, distressed family members, fires, and more is hard for anyone to deal with.
In conclusion, we understand the desire to know what happened on any given call, but please be considerate of your neighbors, both civilian and first responders. If it's something the community needs to know, we will share it with you. Thank you for the support you show our community's volunteer fire department each and every day.
Respectfully,
Chief Hermacinski
This was posted on the MHPD Facebook page. I'm sure @AV8R would understand and appreciate this:
Citizens of Marquette Heights and Public at Large,
With social media being more and more prevalent in our daily lives and with information being shared instantly with the click of a button, it's to be expected that people have become accustomed to knowing things right away. Unfortunately that also leads to some negative interactions for first responders. When you see our flashing lights in your neighborhood it's only natural to be curious about what's going on. But please consider that this situation could be one of the worst days of your neighbors lives.
We as first responders often get questioned about what certain calls pertained to, what the outcome was, etc. It becomes difficult to repeatedly explain that we can't share this information, simply because it's not ours to share, not to mention the HIPAA regulations. If there is a safety or security concern for the community, we will gladly let you know. But most calls we respond to are peoples private matters, medical or otherwise. Imagine if it were you calling 911 for a situation in your home and you found out the people that were there to assist you discussed the details with anyone who wanted to know.
Another thing to consider is that many calls we respond to affect us in major ways. Being asked to relive and explain what happened on these calls can be very difficult for us as we're trying to process and handle our own emotions on the situation. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), roughly 1 in 3 first responders develop PTSD. Dealing with extreme medical emergencies, distressed family members, fires, and more is hard for anyone to deal with.
In conclusion, we understand the desire to know what happened on any given call, but please be considerate of your neighbors, both civilian and first responders. If it's something the community needs to know, we will share it with you. Thank you for the support you show our community's volunteer fire department each and every day.
Respectfully,
Chief Hermacinski