Re: [Paddlewise] 911 systems and paddlers

As a paddler and a police officer I believe I can speak on the abilities of
911 systems. Modern computer aided dispatch systems have the ability to save
non-emergency call information for later use. IE a paddling class occurring
two days from now at a given location and time. This can prove very helpful
when some other passerby calls in stating he sees a kayak in "trouble";
however it is a general rule among public safety departments (police and
fire) that it is better to err on the side of caution. This is why sometimes
we respond anyway. The city I work for; Gary, Indiana, is located on Lake
Michigan and we see these sort of situations all summer. Please give the
guys a break when they come out to help and they are not needed; for most
are underpaid, overworked and have no clue about paddling. Case in point is
myself. I regularly go out on Lake Michigan after work for a little stress
relief paddling. More than once I have returned to shore to find a couple of
our marine rescue unit standing there watching for me to "disappear". And
they know who I am! More than once I have gone out in the lake when all the
jet skiers and the rescue team says its too rough; only to find it totally
controllable. So have a little patience and give the police or fire
department a call beforehand if your going to do training.

Sergeant W. Alan Ross
Gary Police Dept. - Crime Analysis Unit
531 Washington Street
Gary, Indiana 46402



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