Public Safety and numbers

Numbers are important in Public Safety. First of all, every agency, whether the department is based in law enforcement, firefighting, or  emergency medical services, relies on statistics.

Why?

Statistics guides the Administrators when it comes to budgets. Let's face facts folks: everything comes down to money. Next, statistics guide Admin in determining staffing. Today, there are software programs and systems status management programs that assist supervisory personnel in placing field units in the areas with the highest 'likely' calls volumes. When it comes to Communications Centers, stats determine which days and shifts have the biggest amount of Dispatchers on duty at any given day - hence, 'dogwatch' (or, nightshift) traditionally having the smallest number of Dispatchers while second shift (swingshift) has the most.


Stats also help in requisitioning equipment with grants or when a disaster or major incident occurs. Remember: the entire reason an agency needs outside help in the first place is when their sources are overwhelmed. For small to medium departments, that point can be reached in a short amount of time  while large agencies take longer.

Numbers also have a place in Public Safety lore.

The number 'two' is well known.

A person under the influence will almost always reply with 'two' when asked 'How many  XXX (insert type of alcohol here) have you had today?" I know this form personal experience. Without fail, every inebriated person I was called to handle as an EMT told me 'two beers' when asked how much have you had to drink tonight (I usually worked nightshift). I knew they were lying by the person's inability to stand and the smell of their breath (I dare not light a match for fear of starting a fire).

Three is another 'magic' number. All the wackiness I remembered from running calls or answering 911 seemed to happen AFTER 3:00 am. Of course, strange 911 calls did come in before that time but you need to remember in California, the bars closed at 2:00 am. The folks staggered, or drove, home after last call. During the journey from point A (the bar) to point B (the place to sleep off the liquor), all manner of delusions would kick in. That s, if they were fortunate to make it there. Too many caused or were in accidents. The late James O. Page wrote about this mystical time in a book of essays called "The Magic of 3 am".

The final number I'll address is '30'. What is it about Nevada? Every person that calls us has "Lived in their neighborhood for 30 years and never seen XXX (insert animal of choice here) before." Never mind we receive calls about the very same beastie at least every other week. Forget that said creature is native to their neighborhood. We should just take his or her word that the animal has never set foot in that piece of ground before. Thirty years? Never 25, or 10, or 40. It's always 30.

Wow. So 31 years ago Nevada was an empty state of open lands? NO one lived here?

We just take their information and try to do a little education.

Folks remember: the animals were here long before we were. We have to live with them.

What is normal?

Bears can run up to 35 (another number) miles an hour so you can't outrun a bear.

In bear country: don't leave trash outside (including your car). Put trash cans out the MORNING OF PICK-UP only. Don't put out bird feeder or, leave pet food outside. Close any access under your decks. If you have chicken coops or bee hives, consider placing an electrified fence around them. Bears in Nevada come in many different colors (light blond, reddish brown, brown, and black - sometimes with white spots). They are urbanized and wander the neighborhood - yes, sometimes during the day. Don't feed them and call the Nevada Department of Wildlife to report the sightings (775-688-BEAR, or 775-688-2327). Let us know if the bear had a collar or a colored tag (s) in it's ear.

What is normal to see? Coyotes, rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, or deer roaming anywhere in Nevada. What you might see? Bobcats, marmots, badgers, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, mustangs, snakes, tortoises, ring-tailed cats, foxes, eagles, hawks, and owls. Yes, there are others.

Until next time

Stay safe out there!