Hapless Bills Fan Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 I don't want to out someone, so if you know more details from stuff I've said from time to time please don't put them in. This is how we are suffering from a piecemeal, localities and states will decide approach vs. a uniform, appropriate, Nationwide approach. My good friend's brother is a senior LEO in the major city nearest my home, in charge of 4 police divisions, having risen through the ranks over 30 years. I'll call him "Major Brother" (though I think his current rank is higher). The Police Chief does not believe in covid-19 thus not in any of the advice about social distancing and has not taken any measures to protect the force. It's just like the flu. It's overblown, media hype. We don't have too many cases here (yet). Major Brother looked at the CDC and WHO recommendations and said "*****! All my divisions share office space and we're packed in like lemmings. If one officer gets sick, the need to quarantine could take us all out, all 4 of my divisions! That would be a lot of officers off the beat and we can't Do Our Job." Acting on his own, Major Brother went out and found office space for 3 of his divisions off-site (cut rate because, closures, and knows people who want to help police). That let him spread the remaining guys out to self-distance. Instituted no contact between divisions, on or off job. Officers get it (though can't enforce personal life). Chief brought in public health consultant to meet with his staff. Asked "what about this?" Public health consultant said "what Major Brother is doing in dividing and isolating divisions is absolutely what you should do". So rest of staff started to do same with their divisions. Chief torqued. Chief decided they must have an all-hands meeting and brought all officers together in a small room for a nothing-burger - could have been handled with email or memo or videocon. So now if one of them was sick, they're all exposed. Need an officer then? Good luck! Meanwhile, a neighbor is curator of Primates at the Zoo. She stuck her head in our door while we stood well back the other day to bring us some stuff, and gave us details of how the closed zoo has made contingency plans for the care of the animals. She divided up her keepers some time ago so that if one team falls ill, the other will still be there. Divisions within the teams, cross training, very thorough planning for all contingencies. (Primates are susceptible to human diseases, including coronavirus) Let me make this clear in case you don't get it and let it sink in: The primates at the Zoo here have better contingency and health protection planning for them than the local Law Enforcement Officers do. (and probably the firefighters, and the EMS crews) Let that sink in. Now don't get me wrong, I love animals, but LEO and EMS deserve better. This is a direct result of leaving the specific measures taken at the discretion of the state and local level. If the result is how you think it ought to be, I just don't know what to say. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewaycynic2013 Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 What that chief is doing is negligent; putting his most important assets in harm’s way. That should be addressed when the time is right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miyagi-Do Karate Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 the problem in this scenario is what I have been noticing in many states— inept statewide direction from the governor’s office and state department of health. At this stage in the public-health crisis, it is pretty easy to get your stuff together. Just basically copy everything that DeWine in Ohio is doing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 Thank you for sharing this hapless. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted March 22, 2020 Author Share Posted March 22, 2020 7 hours ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said: What that chief is doing is negligent; putting his most important assets in harm’s way. That should be addressed when the time is right. See, here's the sad part. I agree that's what he's doing. I don't think he's intentionally doing this. He may be a very good chief of police, in his sphere of expertise. But he's not an epidemiologist or a public health specialist, and he shouldn't be asked to play one on the job. There is just such conflicting advice that in the absence of clear central direction, a person of good will can come to different conclusions. Example: as of 12:01 pm Sunday, the county I live in and adjacent city will be subject to a 30 day "stay at home" order. All but essential business are to close. But the neighboring county across the river (analogous to shutting down Boston but not Cambridge, or Buffalo but not Grand Island) is not shutting anything. It makes no sense. 7 hours ago, JR in Pittsburgh said: the problem in this scenario is what I have been noticing in many states— inept statewide direction from the governor’s office and state department of health. At this stage in the public-health crisis, it is pretty easy to get your stuff together. Just basically copy everything that DeWine in Ohio is doing. Don't you see the contradiction here, though? We cross state lines every day. There are 50 governors. Shutting businesses has huge economic impact. Which one to follow? Should he copy DeWine, or should he copy Charlie Baker in MA (I don't think MA has locked down yet)? The problem in this scenario is that we need clear central direction from our Federal Government IMO. It makes no sense to lock down State A but not State B. It's like what they tried to do locking N. Italy but 10,000 people fled before the lockdown and took disease with them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted March 24, 2020 Share Posted March 24, 2020 I hope they put a similar plan in place to “major brother”. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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