OUT OF THE FIRING LINE AND INTO THE FIRE - PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS FACE DUAL DANGERS

• NCJ Number: 54489
• Journal: Police Magazine Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (MARCH 1979) Pages: 38-45
• Author(s): S LUXENBERG
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: Criminal Justice Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AN OVERVIEW OF CONSOLIDATED PUBLIC SAFETY SYSTEMS, ARRANGEMENTS IN WHICH PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS (PSO'S) SERVE AS BOTH POLICE AND FIRE FIGHTERS, FOCUSES ON THE PSO PROGRAM IN WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.

Abstract

OFFICIALS IN APPROMIXATELY 60 CITIES HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ADDRESS THEIR BUDGET PROBLEMS BY CONSOLIDATING POLICE AND FIRE FUNCTIONS. GENERALLY CONSOLIDATIONS ARE INSPIRED BY THE FACT THAT, EXCEPT IN VERY LARGE CITIES, FIRE FIGHTERS SPEND LESS THAN 5 PERCENT OF THEIR TIME ACTUALLY FIGHTING FIRES. IN SOME CITIES, FIRE FIGHTERS ARE REQUIRED TO HANDLE POLICE AND OTHER MUNICIPAL FUNCTIONS. A SECOND APPROACH IS TO CUT FIRE PAYROLLS AND REQUIRE POLICE TO FILL IN AS FIRE FIGHTERS WHEN NECESSARY. SOME MERGER ATTEMPTS HAVE MET WITH ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS AND WITH PROTEST FROM UNIONS AND CITIZENS. IN SOME CITIES, CONSOLIDATION PLANS HAVE BEEN ABANDONED. THE LARGEST CITY WITH A FULLY CONSOLIDATED PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT IS SUNNYVALE, CALIF., WHERE POLICE AND FIRE OPERATIONS WERE MERGED IN 1950. SEVERAL CITIES HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN THEIR ATTEMPTS TO COPY THE SUNNYVALE SYSTEM. SUCCESSFUL CONSOLIDATIONS ARE MOST COMMON IN RELATIVELY SMALL, PROSPEROUS COMMUNITIES WHERE CRIME AND FIRE RATES ARE NOT HIGH. IN WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., THERE ARE THREE GROUPS OF OFFICERS: REGULAR FIRE OFFICERS, REGULAR POLICE, AND PSO'S. PSO'S ARE ASSIGNED TO POLICE BEATS AND TO THE FIRE COMPANIES IN THEIR DISTRICTS. MORE THAN 95 PERCENT OF THEIR TIME IS SPENT ON THE POLICE BEAT. WHEN A FIRE ALARM SOUNDS, THE RESPONDING FIRE COMPANY CALLS ONE OF THE PSO'S ASSIGNED TO THE COMPANY. THE PSO'S, WHO CARRY FIRE-FIGHTING GEAR IN THEIR PATROL CARS, ARE EXPECTED TO GIVE FIRE CALLS PRIORITY OVER ALL NONEMERGENCY POLICE WORK. IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED THAT THE PSO'S CUT THE CITY'S COSTS BY ABOUT $200,000 A YEAR. HOWEVER, THERE ARE THOSE WHO FEEL THAT THE SAVING IS SCANT COMPENSATION FOR THE PROBLEMS THE PROGRAM HAS CAUSED, INCLUDING THOSE STEMMING FROM CONFLICTS BETWEEN POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS. DETAILS OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF WINSTON-SALEM'S PSO PROGRAM ARE PRESENTED, TOGETHER WITH THE VIEWS OF PSO'S REGARDING THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASPECT OF THEIR JOBS. (LKM)