AL Fire Departments Ask for More Police Protection

Mar. 4—Some Morgan County volunteer firefighters are concerned that their safety is at risk when deputies don't accompany them on medical calls, but the Sheriff's Office says it responds only in threatening situations as it balances limited staffing with increasing mental health needs in the community.

Sheriff Ron Puckett plans to meet with the Morgan County Volunteer Firefighters Association on April 12 to discuss the concerns expressed by some of its members, according to John Stinson, president of the association.

Stinson said he wants his members to keep in mind all of the duties required of the Sheriff's Office, but he acknowledged that protection for firefighters and EMTs is an active issue among the county's 22 volunteer fire departments.

"Some people are fussing, and I've heard the complaints," Stinson said. "But there is simply no way the Sheriff's Office can respond to every medical call in the county. Sheriff Puckett has talked with us, and we're addressing it right now."

Stinson, a 37-year veteran firefighter and EMT, said some in the association feel members are put in harms way when responding to medical calls that can become potentially threatening.

He said if a scene becomes volatile, he is quick to call the Sheriff's Office, and it has responded.

"I've never had them fail to respond when I called," he said. "You never know going into someone's house what's going on or what we're going in to. Oftentimes, having law enforcement on the scene makes it worse. Some people don't like police. People get agitated when police, law enforcement are around."

Sheriff's spokesman Mike Swafford said the department will respond to a scene when people's lives are threatened, and they are called by the firefighters or EMTs.

"Obviously, if there is a threat or criminal activity, we will respond," he said. "However, we cannot respond to every purely medical-related call. If requested by (emergency medical services or volunteer fire departments), we will respond for their safety."

He said threatening suicide is not a crime.

"If that individual is not threatening anybody else, there's really no need for us to be there," he said.

Firefighters, the Sheriff's Office and medical professionals in the county agreed there has been an increase in calls involving mental health issues, including the threat of suicide.

"The biggest problem is those individuals threatening suicide," Stinson said. "Unfortunately, we get a lot of those nowadays. They're up, but I can't tell you by how much."

According to the Sheriff's Office call volume for January, the department responded to 2,105 calls including 58 that were mental health-related, 46 for domestic violence and 50 well-being checks.

"Our call volume continues to outpace our staffing, which prevents us from handling all medical calls," said Swafford, who added the Sheriff's Office covers 579 square miles of the county.

He said most of the deputies have gone through crisis intervention training the past two years and continue to be trained on mental health-related issues.

"While our team is trained in the basics, we are not EMTs," he said.

Registered nurse Stacy Hagood, clinical supervisor with Decatur Morgan Hospital West campus, said she sees suicidal threats rising.

"Unfortunately, (threats of suicides) happen more than before. We're seeing more of it because of the pandemic," she said. "What is best is to get (the individual) to an emergency room. A lot of times it is a cry for help from that person. There needs to be some more education to the public. There is a fear from some people to even go to the grocery store now. (The pandemic) has made existing disorders worse."

Stinson and Hagood said adding a mental health expert to the sheriff's staff could possibly alleviate some of the fear of the first-responders dealing with a suicidal person. In November, Decatur police hired Kate Anderson as a mental health liaison.

Stinson suggested the County Commission could step in with a solution and assistance.

Commission Chairman Ray Long didn't rule any assistance out, but said the sheriff determines his department's staffing.

"We don't get in the sheriff's business," Long said. "That's up to him. We don't have unlimited funds, but we will work with him on his budget if he came to us about adding mental health personnel."

Long added the county jail's Stepping Up Initiative program works with inmates needing mental health guidance.

Adding deputes is an ongoing need, Swafford said.

Last fall, Puckett said, "Mental health continues to be one of the leading issues we deal with. It is the root of many of our calls and is an underlying issue in many of our drug and property crimes."

— [email protected] or 256-340-2442. Twitter @DD_Wetzel.

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