Members of the Starbright Civic Collective present the town with a check for $48,000 to cover the first year of EMT training. From left are Pati Maguire, Stella Kolb, Jean Burling (behind Kolb), Carol Besler, Mary Ziegenfuss, Diane Rose, Police Chief Richard Jones, Janet Schijns, Betty Bingham and Carolyn Cassidy. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
By Joe Capozzi
Ocean Ridge’s finest are about to take on another critical public-safety role.
The town’s Police Department in January will start training its officers to be certified emergency medical technicians, under a $50,000 pilot program paid for by the Starbright Civic Collective, an Ocean Ridge nonprofit.
“This brings us back to a place where the officers we have can do mostly everything. They literally save our lives day in and day out,’’ Commissioner Geoff Pugh said before the Town Commission unanimously approved the program Dec. 5.
“This enhances our level of service tenfold,’’ he said. “That’s what we as residents deserve.’’
Public EMT services are typically provided by fire rescue departments. Ocean Ridge, a barrier island community, receives fire rescue service under a nearly $1.4 million contract with Boynton Beach Fire Rescue.
While no one at the Dec. 5 Town Commission meeting criticized Boynton Beach Fire Rescue, Ocean Ridge Police Chief Richard Jones said his officers are always first on scene to calls, usually arriving in two to three minutes. Fire rescue crews at times can take seven to 12 minutes to arrive at a call on the island, he said.
“That means we have the ability to influence the decision as to whether or not someone has the ability to survive until they reach a hospital. Those golden minutes, as we refer to them, are what we care most about,’’ said Jones, whose department also provides police services to Briny Breezes.
“Those minutes are critically important to survival rates and we want to make sure our staff is properly trained to provide a service that we are able to provide.’’
The EMT program will start in January with the training of four of Ocean Ridge’s 16 officers, roughly one officer per shift. (The department usually has 19 officers but three positions are vacant.) Since Jones said he and two other officers are already certified EMTs, seven officers would be certified in 2023.
Jones said it will cost about $50,000 a year to train four officers in consultation with a physician under Florida Department of Health rules for EMT certification, including medical supplies for patrol cars.
While the Starbright Civic Collective will pay for the first year, it likely will be up to commissioners to decide whether to use town tax dollars to continue paying the training costs for more officers in future years.
“There is a need in our town — I believe strongly as a resident who has benefited from it — for our police officers to be trained as EMTs so they can respond in an emergency and help save the lives of our residents until the Boynton teams can arrive,’’ said Janet Schijns, president of the Starbright Civic Collective, who presented Jones with a ceremonial check for $48,000.
Commissioners, who applauded the nonprofit for paying for the first year, seemed open to the idea of paying for training in future years.
“Not only do our residents deserve this, but as we start to cross-pollinate with our other neighbors to the north and the south, there may be a benefit eventually that we could help provide these services for others for a fee and really strengthen everything we do. I know the folks in Briny are extremely excited about this,’’ Vice Mayor Kristine de Haseth said.
Although there are likely many police officers around Palm Beach County who are certified EMTs, Jones said he believes Ocean Ridge will be the first police department with a dedicated program.
“I think there is value in us providing our residents with service that they can’t get anywhere else,’’ said Jones, whose department has a $3.464 million budget. “That makes our community stand out from the communities around us as we move forward in the future.’’
Town manager search
Town commissioners expect to interview at least five finalists for the town manager’s position on Jan. 31. On Dec. 5, they agreed to allow Colin Baenziger, their $29,500 search consultant, to determine the finalists.
Commissioners want the new town manager to start no later than Feb. 20. The new hire would replace Tracey Stevens, who resigned Sept. 11 to accept the manager’s job in Haverhill. Lynne Ladner has been serving as interim town manager.
Digitizing records
Commissioners will spend $97,148 to scan and digitize hundreds of thousands of pages of town records that are currently occupying two rooms at Town Hall.
“We’re pretty Flintstones right now and we’re getting an electric car,’’ Commissioner Steve Coz said before the commission approved a digitization contract with MCCi, a Tallahassee-based digital recording firm.
The documents include ordinances, resolutions and meeting minutes, but the majority are site plans, development proposals, permits and other Building Department records.
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