Stand-down order issued
From our weekly issue dated October 14, 2009
As of Monday, Oct. 12, Illinois Valley Fire District (IVFD) will implement a directive ordering personnel to stand-down during incidents requiring law enforcement response if officers are unable to arrive on scene.
Chief Harry Rich made the announcement during the hour-long IVFD Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, Oct. 8 at the district headquarters on Caves Hwy. He had briefed the board on his intentions during its meeting on Sept. 10.
Under the new policy, IVFD will respond if Dispatch confirms that law enforcement is on its way, with an estimated arrival time of 15 minutes or less. If the response time is estimated to be between 15 and 30 minutes, IVFD units “shall remain available and stage in quarters.”
However, fire crews will be asked to stop their response if there is an unknown deputy arrival time or if dispatch confirms that officers are not available. IVFD personnel also will treat suspicious circumstances as hostile in the absence of law enforcement officers.
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Similar procedures already are in place for American Medical Response personnel, as well as most fire districts countrywide.
Rich has stated that personnel safety is the main reason for the new directive, as funding cuts have dwindled Josephine County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) patrols to a single 12-hour shift. A plan to increase JCSO staffing levels to enable two 10-hour shifts is under way, but will not be fully realized until sometime next year.
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