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Police Chief Douglas Pallini noted that every year the Cuyahoga Heights safety forces, in conjunction with the Cuyahoga Heights High School conducts a program called “Prom Promise.” The program consists of an enactment of a traffic accident involving a student from the Cuyahoga Heights High School presented in such a way to arouse awareness and the consequences for making poor choices; such as drinking and driving, or getting into a vehicle with somebody who has been drinking. The program message is to enjoy your prom night drug-free. Evidenced by the tears of some of the students and parents it turned out to be a success.
Police Captain Edward Pritchard and I attended the ICS300 – Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents and the IS400 – Advanced ICS Command and General Staff-Complex Incidents through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Center for Domestic Preparedness.
The classes were held at the NEORSD administrative offices on East 49th Street in Cuyahoga Heights the week of November 26. This was a tremendous opportunity to attend classes held in our community. A passing score of 70% was required on both examinations. Police Captain Pritchard and I did well on both exams. In fact, we only missed one question on the ICS400 exam.
The overall training consisted of educating us in the area of Incident Command during large scale and complex incidents which may occur in our town.
In addition, all other officers of the Cuyahoga Heights Police Department have achieved certification at the ICS100, ICS200 and ICS700 levels. The Captains and I have achieved this certification, and also the ICS800.
I hope to send Police Captain Cerha to achieve certification in ICS300 and ICS400 as the class becomes available.
The officers provide safety and services for the community
of approximately 700 residents and the industrial areas. The
Police Department also provides specialized services to the
local community and surrounding communities as well:
Programs:
*D.A.R.E. officer who is responsible
for
D.A.R.E. Program for students at the
Cuyahoga Heights School system.
*Juvenile Diversion Program
*Children’s Safety Town Program |
*Range training officers
*Defensive tactics training officers
*Bicycle officers
*S.E.B. |
The Cuyahoga Heights Police Department continues
its participation in the Southwest Enforcement Bureau (SEB).
SEB is a regional organization made up of emergency services
personnel form eighteen surrounding suburbs. SEB maintains
tactical response capabilities for hostage/barricade situations,
crowd control, and high-risk warrant service and bomb disposal.
SEB may also respond to any other emergency or situation beyond
the means of a single department. Our Department has four (4)
men assigned to SEB. Three officers are assigned to special
weapons and tactics, and one as a crisis negotiator.
During the early years of the police profession there was no
radio to communicate calls to patrol cars. Most large city
departments used call boxes. These were telephones located
throughout the jurisdiction for officers to call into the
station periodically to check on any calls that were received.
Cuyahoga Heights had a unique way to advise their officers
that there were outstanding calls. The Village Hall custodians
used a red light located on a tower at the Village Hall to
indicate this. The officer seeing this would stop out at
the station to determine the location and nature of the call.
Of course, this progressed into the present day two-way radio
for communication between officers and dispatchers.
The Cuyahoga Heights Police Department currently employs six
full-time and two part-time dispatchers who are responsible
for communications for the Village of Cuyahoga Heights as well
as, the Village of Valley View, and the Village of Brooklyn
Heights. Calls that are received are logged on a Computer Aided
Dispatch (CAD) system that is a part of the overall computer
software system of the Police Department.
In celebration of the Easter holiday, pediatric hematology/oncology
patients at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital were treated to an Easter party sponsored by the Cuyahoga Heights Police Department in cooperation with the Ohio Lawmen, a national police softball team. The 4th annual “Make A Child Smile” event took place in the hospital’s pediatric hematology/oncology unit on Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at 11:00 a.m.
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This year, officers and other members of the Cuyahoga Heights Police Department along with members of the Ohio Lawmen distributed 66
Easter baskets, personalized for each child. Parents received gift and gas cards. In addition, lunch was provided for the families and staff.
Over the past four years, the Cuyahoga Heights police officers and members of the Ohio Lawmen have raised $25,000 to support “Make a Child Smile.” The police department takes a special interest in the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, as two of its members have had children treated in the pediatric hematology/oncology unit.
About the Ohio Lawmen. The Ohio Lawmen are a top‐ranked softball team of law enforcement officers from Ohio and a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The Ohio Lawmen raise funds to benefit numerous causes, including families of fallen officers, Ohio C.O.P.S. (Concerns of Police Survivors,) the Greater Cleveland Police Scholarship Fund, families of terminally ill children and New Orleans officers victimized by Hurricane Katrina.
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