CHILD SAFETY SEAT EDUCATION & INSTALLATION PROGRAM 

The Glen Rock Police Department is resuming its Child Passenger Safety Seat Program.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

 
Domestic Violence Crisis Response Team Implemented by G.R.P.D.

April  2002

The Department announced that beginning May 1st, they will have in place a Crisis Response Team to assist those residents who are the victims of Domestic Violence.  The program is in response to a State mandate that communities have a service available to their residents to provide crisis intervention and emotional support to the victims of a domestic violence situation.  

The team is staffed by a group of volunteers who undergo 40 hours of specialized training conducted by the Alternatives to Domestic Violence, Shelter our Sisters, as well as the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.  Glen Rock Sgt. Dean Ackermann, who is in charge of the domestic violence training for the department, will serve as the liaison.

A team member will respond to the police station, during the night, on weekends and holidays, for any domestic violence situation.  Beyond providing emotional support, the volunteers will assist the victim by encouraging them to cooperate with the investigating officers. Their role includes helping victims understand the laws and services available to them, providing immediate safety and shelter needs for them or their children, assuring that they understand their domestic violence rights, as well as the full range of services that are available to them.

June 2001

Don't be surprised if you get a recorded telephone call from the Glen Rock Police Department soon.
It's just a new community service tool that has been added to the police department’s dispatch center (Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch).  The system, called REVERSE 911^®, is a computerized calling program that allows police to call up to 450 people an hour with a recorded message.

REVERSE 911^® Interactive Notification System was developed by SIGMA MICRO CORPORATION in 1993 to give public safety agencies and emergency management groups the technology to quickly contact citizens in a specific geographic area and communicate vital information. The foundation of the system is built using a database of all residents and businesses' addresses and phone numbers and computer mapping technology for a designated location. The system programs telephone numbers to be automatically called to deliver pre-recorded messages. The turnkey system is a stand-alone product that does not interact with departments’ current 911 programs.

Glen Rock and Ridgewood Police Departments, through their shared dispatch center, purchased the system with some assistance of The Valley Hospital Association and are one of the first agencies in Bergen County to obtain the REVERSE 911^® community notification system. Most residents know to call 911 in case of an emergency. The Reverse 911 system allows the police to call residents and businesses in a potential emergency.

According to Center Director, Robert Greenlaw, the Reverse 911 system saves time and manpower in emergency situations. "In those first few minutes of an emergency, there is usually a shortage of resources for the police, fires and EMS responders." Greenlaw said. "By implementing this technology, we can simultaneously contact our emergency responders and tell them to report to their headquarters and send pre-recorded messages to certain neighborhoods and businesses notifying them to take shelter, or to take other emergency measures.  The system's software allows a programmer to specify a particular area, and then send a message to all the listed telephones in that area.

The system can be used to communicate an unlimited number of public safety events. Whether a department needs help finding a missing child, needs to warn a neighborhood of a hazardous spill or wants to communicate about a rash of burglaries to a neighborhood, REVERSE 911^® can help public safety agencies connect with people when it counts.  In addition, the system could notify residents of potential water shortages or restrictions, mosquito sprayings or even of an emergency evacuation of a neighborhood.

Because the  REVERSE 911^® software is so advanced, police can use the tool to notify every convenience store in the Borough if there's been a string of robberies, or notify all downtown businesses if someone has been targeting the downtown area with check forgeries.

For more information on the REVERSE 911 system, please visit their web site at: http://www.reverse911.com/.

Police Officers Trained in Automated External Defibrillators

Glen Rock Police Department’s entire force is trained in the use of Automated External Defibrillation (AED) units. Presently, the officers are all CPR certified and have completed a  4-day First Responder training program certifying them in first aid, as well as, the AED.  This will provide the Borough and citizens’ of Glen Rock with a more comprehensive cardiac care program.

"Defibrillation is a recognized means of changing certain potentially fatal heart rhythms using a direct current that applies a brief, high-energy pulse of electricity to the heart muscle," explained Officer Eric Reamy, who is also an Emergency Medical Technician. He stated that use of the "AED is only one component of the medical care required to resuscitate a patient with a shockable cardiac rhythm. Depending on the situation, other supportive measures may include CPR, supplemental oxygen, and advanced life support, provided by area paramedics." Reamy added, "Even with all this training and equipment, early CPR is still an important part of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest."

The department received five Physio Control Lifepak 500 AED units that were donated by Hackensack University Medical Center and will be carried in the patrol cars. Each unit weighs about six pounds and is about the size of a phone book. Chief Steven Cherry stated, "We have an excellent emergency medical service in the Borough, however our officers are usually the first rescuers to a scene, making it essential for us to have these units and be trained in this critical component of the chain of survival for a cardiac emergency. 

To read about the first life saved, in Glen Rock on 9/16/99, using the AED,  please click on Press Releases.

Fatal Vision Goggles

The Glen Rock Police Department has recently acquired four pairs of Fatal Vision Goggles to be used in conjunction with the D.A.R.E. training program as well as traffic safety demonstrations performed for high school students and other groups. These goggles, which cost approximately $700.00, were made available by the Glen Rock Municipal Drug Alliance. This group generously funds Glen Rock’s D.A.R.E. program and provided funding for the purchase of these special goggles.

What is Fatal Vision?

When Fatal Vision goggles are worn, they allow an individual the opportunity to experience the dangers of impairment from drugs and alcohol without suffering the all-to-real consequences. They have a first-hand account of impairment of driving skills, coordination, and personal judgement.

History of Fatal Vision Goggles, And How They Are Used.

Fatal Vision simulator goggles are manufactured by Innocorp, Ltd. located in Wisconsin. They were first introduced at the Conference on Wisconsin Highway Safety, in June 1996, by then Governor Tommy Thompson. Fatal Vision goggles are presently used for instruction in forty-six states, however the appeal for their use is worldwide. Teachers and instructors from many traffic safety and drug awareness programs use them as teaching aids. Some of the organizations that use them are: D.A.R.E. officers, Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD), Racers Against Drunk Driving (RADD), Business Against Drunk Driving (BADD), chapters of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the United States Military (US Air Force, US Army, US Navy, and National Guard), hospitals, and insurance companies.

How do the Fatal Vision Goggles Work?

Fatal vision goggles appear to be similar to other eye protection which might be worn while working in a woodshop, on a vehicle, or around the yard. However, the fatal vision goggles have specially cut lenses that distort visual perception.

When wearing them, a person sees things in a distorted view-as if they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Once a person has them on, they may be asked to perform certain tasks, which under normal conditions would not seem difficult to complete. But with the distortion from the goggles, these tasks now become difficult and sometimes even impossible to complete.

The Glen Rock Police Department has four pairs of the Fatal Vision goggles. Two simulate impaired daytime viewing and the others simulate impaired night vision. If your group would like a Fatal Vision presentation, or if you would like more information, please contact Sgt. Dan Dour at (201) 652-3800 or E-Mail via D.A.R.E. UNIT.

Glen Rock Police Department Tours

In an effort to educate the community, especially children and young adults, the Glen Rock Police Department offers informative tours at police headquarters. These officer-guided events include a tour of our communications facility, processing (booking) area, patrol cars, and holding cells. They have been conducted in the past for various scouting groups, as well as numerous student class-groups from our school system. Topics discussed vary widely from group to group depending upon age and particular interests. Some of the things discussed with younger groups may include: when and how to use 9-1-1, and what to do in an emergency, as well as a question and answer period.