First Responders in Sagadahoc County to Receive Reusable N95 Respirators, June 29, 2020
Law Enforcement in Sagadahoc County to Receive Equipment Upgrade January 17, 2020
Bath Police Chief Michael Field Presents Reno with the 911 Heroes Award
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Ethan Reno’s 911 Call Leads Law Enforcement to Apprehend Intruder Linked to Multiple Crimes
BATH, Maine, February 20, 2015 – Dial 911 in an emergency. It’s a message that we hear over and over again, but in the heat of the moment, during or just after a crime is witnessed, it is often easier said than done. For 11-year-old Ethan Reno of Bath, however, it came as naturally as a conversation with a fellow classmate. A call to the Sagadahoc County Communications Center, handed deftly by first year 911 Dispatcher Alicia Tingley of Bath, led Bath Police and the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s office to apprehend a suspect of multiple burglaries throughout the area.
Upon entering his home with mother Shannon Moon, Ethan found the suspect hiding in the shower. After an altercation between Ms. Moon and the suspect that led the suspect to flee the residence, Ethan was instructed to call 911 to report the crime. As Moon recovered from the ordeal, Ethan calmly provided 911 Dispatcher Tingley with information about the situation, describing the address of the altercation, providing a visual description of the suspect, and even offering detailed information such as the fact that the intruder smelled of cigarette smoke. As Ethan and 911 Dispatcher Tingley talked, law enforcement were on the trail of the perpetrator. The Bath Police Department and Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s K9 Unit tracked down the suspect, and a short time later both Ethan and Ms. Moon identified his as the man who was hiding in their shower. It was later discovered that a sum of money as well as other property was taken from the residence.
Ethan, a student at the West Bath School, was the focus of a surprise commendation ceremony at his school, attended by Bath Police Chief Michael Field, Sagadahoc County Commissioner Carol Grose and Sheriff Joel Merry, as well as representatives from the Sagadahoc County Communications Center and Emergency Management Agency. Making a special appearance to highlight the importance of calling 911 was national 911 mascot Red-E-Fox. Family and friends of Ethan were also in attendance.
At the school assembly, Chief Field presented Ethan with the 911 For Kids® Heroes Award. 911 For Kids® is the official education program for local, federal and international public safety: dispatch centers, agencies and organizations committed to the sole purpose of teaching children how to save lives and property through the use of 911, the nation’s universal emergency telephone number. “Ethan’s courage and composure under pressure was extraordinary and should be lauded as a shining example of how citizens can help us fight crime,” said Chief Field. “He is a young man mature beyond his years.”
911 Dispatcher Tingley was introduced to Ethan as the voice on the other end of the telephone and presented him with a medal commending his bravery. “Ms. Tingley’s professionalism, poise and technique in tandem with Ethan’s attention to detail made for a perfect case study on how 911 works to save lives and property,” stated Brodie Hinckley, Director of the Sagadahoc County Communications Center.
As the recognition event winded down, Ethan posed for pictures with well-wishers as well as Brix, the K9 who tracked and found the intruder. As he embraced his mother, Ethan was heard as saying, “It feels like this smile is superglued to my face.”
Online Tool Yet Another Way to Stay ‘In the Know’
Sagadahoc County Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Jason J. Shedlock responds to a query on SCEMA’s new Facebook page. |
BATH, Maine, December 1, 2014 – The Sagadahoc County Emergency Management Agency (SCEMA) recently unveiled their new Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/SagadahocCountyEMA), offering users of the popular social media site an opportunity to both receive and share timely information on issues critical to the health, safety and well-being of county residents and visitors alike. SCEMA’s new Facebook presence serves as another way the county is working to maintain a useful and continuous dialogue with the public.
“It is incumbent upon us as Emergency Managers to meet people where they are and make information as accessible as possible,” stated Eric Sawyer, Director of the Sagadahoc County Emergency Management Agency. “Increasingly, our residents turn to social media for news. Following the SCEMA on Facebook will ensure the public not only has access to information provided by the County, but just as importantly, it will facilitate a two-way dialogue and serve as a way for users to notify and engage us about issues of concern in their communities.”
SCEMA joins the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office and the Sagadahoc County Communications Center as county agencies that utilize social media to better serve the public. “Facebook has become a critical crime fighting tool,” said Joel Merry, Sagadahoc County Sheriff. “Those who follow us on our Facebook page serve as a few thousand additional eyes and ears out in the community. Their feedback has been invaluable as we work together to protect and serve the public. It’s a tremendous resource.”
Along with establishing a direct line of communication with county emergency management personnel, followers of the SCEMA Facebook page will have access to information such as: emergency preparedness tips, power outage restoration efforts, notifications of community events and emergency management activities, timely public health information and more.
Those wishing to stay ‘in the know’ are encouraged to follow the Sagadahoc County Emergency Management Agency by visiting http://www.facebook.com/SagadahocCountyEMA today.
Emergency Management Agency Facilitates Purchase of New Dell Tablets for 30 Patrol Vehicles
Sagadahoc County Deputy Sheriff Mark Anderson demonstrates the functionality of the new Dell tablets. |
BATH, Maine, Sept. 16, 2014 – The Sagadahoc County Emergency Management Agency (SCEMA) recently announced that all patrol vehicles in the county have been equipped with new Dell tablets, replacing aging equipment and offering law enforcement the benefits of cutting edge technology.
The tablets, outfitted with durable protective cases and detachable keyboards, were programmed by personnel at the Sagadahoc County Regional Communications Center and purchased through a grant from the Maine Emergency Management Agency through the US Department of Homeland Security. They replace decade-old mobile data terminals that have quickly become outdated. At a base cost of approximately $1,100 per machine and accessories, the new tablets not only offer increased efficiency over other possible replacements but also performance that parallels units costing nearly four times that amount.
“The men and women of law enforcement deserve the best tools available to protect and serve our residents,” said Max Dawson, Chair of the Sagadahoc County Board of Commissioners. “We take pride in the fact that our law enforcement personnel are known as some of the best-equipped in the state, and this significant upgrade in equipment further cements that reputation.”
Sagadahoc County has four full-time municipal law enforcement agencies and a Sheriff’s Office that provides law enforcement services to the six municipalities that do not have police departments. They all use the same computer-aided dispatch and law enforcement database management system – a system that without an update in equipment would suffer diminished performance.
“Equipment failure out in the field is not an option,” said Chief John Skroski of the Phippsburg Police Department. “As a group across the county, we identified an urgent need and collaborated on a solution. Our thanks to the commissioners, the SCEMA, the team at the Regional Communications Center and all others involved for listening and investing the necessary resources so we can continue to do our job. The new tablets are a tremendous asset.”