Denver learned from NOLA

[Leonidas]

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_6876614?source=rss

Cops' safety gear inadequate
Budget documents show it may cost more than $700,000 to protect officers and bring the city into federal compliance.By Christopher N. Osher
Denver Post Staff Writer

Six years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks exposed the need for safety gear for first responders, Denver's Police Department is violating federal regulations regarding the protection of its officers, budget documents show.

"The city and department have federal, state and local legal responsibilities as well as ethical concerns which the department is currently not in compliance with," the documents state.

The problem persists despite the disbursal of more than $36 million in federal homeland security grants to the city and county of Denver since 2003, and ongoing attempts by police officials to snag federal grants.


Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday announced the state is distributing another $34.2 million in grants to communities throughout Colorado - providing a potential funding source that could solve the issue.

It could cost the city more than $700,000 next year to properly protect the officers and bring the city into compliance, according to budget requests, the status of which city officials declined to discuss.

"I'm sitting here, just trying to figure out why this has dragged on so long," said Denver Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz, who said that in meetings she attended several years ago, she was told the issue was being resolved.

"If it hasn't been done, it certainly ought to be done, and if it isn't done through grants, we've got to fund it," Faatz said. "You've got to protect your personnel; that's the bottom line."

The issue has special prominence, the documents noted, considering the city will host the Democratic National Convention next year. That event is expected to attract more than 100,000 visitors.

The lack of safety gear has caused problems elsewhere, most noticeably in New York, where responders to the attacks on the World Trade Center have reported respiratory illnesses and have filed multiple lawsuits. Police officers in Oregon have sued, citing respiratory problems after they responded to methamphetamine lab operations.

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper's administration declined to comment, saying the public will have to wait until Friday, when the mayor releases his proposed budget for next year.

Police Chief Gerry Whitman said that he feared city staff would decide against funding the equipment and that the Police Department may have to resort to raising the money privately.

"It's simply got to be done," Whitman said.

Numerous safety issues cited

The inadequate equipment and a lack of training were among numerous safety issues submitted to Hickenlooper by various city departments for the 2008 budget.

He will now choose his priorities and submit his proposal to the City Council for approval.

The requests offer clues to the city's needs and potential service cuts.

The political convention added a wild card to the budget process. The documents show that it will place an unprecedented strain on city services, but up to $50 million in expected federal funds will help pick up some, perhaps all, of those costs.

The documents show that the Police Department still doesn't have basic safety gear for 300 of its officers.

Those officers would have no respirators, gas masks or protective gloves and boots if they had to defend the city from a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack, the documents state.

Further, the 1,200 personal protective equipment response kits the city has for the rest of the police force are too old to work properly, the documents show.

Police Cpl. Stephen Palka, who declined to comment, stated in a budget request that the protective kits that exist have respirators and other equipment beyond the "manufacturer's current shelf life and many pieces are showing signs of material breakdown."

Gas masks in the kits aren't too old, but they have other flaws.

"As for the masks, they currently do not allow for hydration of the user while being worn for extended time periods," Palka stated. "This creates safety concerns for the scope of the work performed."

Those documents also show that the city's Police and Fire departments don't have a full-time employee dedicated to such safety issues.

The city's parks department, Public Works Department and Denver International Airport all have employees whose sole job is to keep the city in compliance with federal safety regulations.

That work is done on a part- time basis in the Police and Fire departments.

Fixing the problem for the Police Department will require hiring a safety coordinator at $110,000 a year, the documents said. Another $611,000 is needed to buy necessary equipment.

$650,000 for DNC staffing

The Police Department also asked the mayor for $650,000 to plan for the 2008 Democratic National Convention, money that might be reimbursed by the federal government. The department wants to dedicate a captain, lieutenant, sergeant, police officer and clerical worker to full-time planning for the convention.

The Police Department, which is struggling to keep pace with an onslaught of retirements, also wants to hire 72 officers next year.

At the Fire Department, officials said 25 firefighters don't have portable radios, and $105,000 is needed for that equipment.

Two decontamination tents, at a total cost of $20,000, also are needed in the case of an attack during the upcoming Democratic National Convention, fire officials said.

Meanwhile, the city's tight finances, in which a $30 million budget gap had to be closed, means service cuts probably are in the offing.

In response to Hickenlooper's request for possible cuts, fire officials proposed shutting down two Denver fire stations to save $3 million.

Fire officials on Friday said they doubted that Hickenlooper would take that step, but said they would find out for sure Friday when the budget is officially released.

[Thor]

Too bad that both the DNC and RNC couldn't pick up part of the tab for their "conventions". I know, I know......... they bring an infusion of money into the state and cities they have their conventions in.

[Rip Van Winkle]

This line sticks out to me.

At the Fire Department, officials said 25 firefighters don't have portable radios, and $105,000 is needed for that equipment.

Those must be some special radios at $4,200 apiece.

[ttousi]

This line sticks out to me.

At the Fire Department, officials said 25 firefighters don't have portable radios, and $105,000 is needed for that equipment.

Those must be some special radios at $4,200 apiece.

More than likely they are the 800 mhz trunked system that everyone has to be on by early or mid 08. IIRC all emergency services must switch per Dept of Homeland Defense. They are digital and pricey. The scanners are 500-600 ............and all you can do is listen. Scanners for existing systems can be had for approx 80-100.

So while they (2 way radios) may not be $ 4200 they are probably 5-6 times more expensive than current