Training police search and rescue teams: Implications for missing persons work

2021 ◽  
pp. 174889582110573
Author(s):  
Lorna Ferguson ◽  
Janne E Gaub
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Police Training ◽  
Training Needs ◽  
Search And Rescue ◽  
Police Legitimacy ◽  
Missing Persons ◽  
Rescue Personnel

Police search and rescue teams are crucial players in resolving missing person cases. Resultantly, police employ a host of training for search and rescue members in collaboration with institutions, organizations, and groups. Such training, however, has not been studied. This warrants attention as, in a time of police legitimacy crises and austerity policing, appropriate and quality police training for effective, efficient practices is imperative. Therefore, we examined the training needs and offerings for police search and rescue personnel, and their impact on search and rescue operations and work, through thematic analysis of interviews with 52 police search and rescue members from 17 agencies across Canada. Findings suggest there are no homogeneous, structured, or standardized training offerings for police search and rescue personnel. Instead, training varies within and across agencies and regions, and between officers and roles, as it is commonly based upon anecdotal experiences and in-house developed “best practices.” We discuss the implications of these findings for police search and rescue operations and work.

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and Associated Factors in Military Search and Rescue Personnel

2021 ◽  
Vol 92 (12) ◽  
pp. 975-979
Author(s):  
Rokshana Akter ◽  
Tricia L. Larose ◽  
Jannicke Sandvik ◽  
Vivianne Fonne ◽  
Anders Meland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Excessive Daytime Sleepiness ◽  
Daytime Sleepiness ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Lifestyle Factors ◽  
Search And Rescue ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Study Cohort ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Rescue Personnel

BACKGROUND: Abnormal excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) has been reported worldwide, but too little is known about EDS and its determinants in Search and Rescue (SAR) populations. We aimed to determine the prevalence of abnormal EDS and contributing factors among Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) SAR helicopter personnel.METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a total of N = 175 RNoAF SAR personnel completed an electronic survey including socio-demographic and lifestyle questions. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was used as both a continuous and categorical outcome variable to measure EDS.RESULTS: Abnormal EDS defined by ESS was found in 41% of the participants in this study. We observed no associations between socio-demographic and lifestyle factors and abnormal EDS in this study. DISCUSSION: There is a high prevalence of abnormal EDS in the current RNoAF SAR population. Despite this elevated level of fatigue, we did not find that the socio-demographic and lifestyle factors assessed in this study were associated with abnormal EDS in RNoAF SAR helicopter personnel. Also unusually, the study cohort did not demonstrate higher scores in factors found to change ESS scores in similar study populations (e.g., caffeine use, tobacco use, exercise level). Further research is required to investigate other factors (organizational, operational) that may be associated with abnormal EDS in this and other SAR populations.Akter R, Larose TL, Sandvik J, Fonne V, Meland A, Wagstaff AS. Excessive daytime sleepiness and associated factors in military search and rescue personnel. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2021; 92(12):975–979.

scholarly journals Strategies to Locate Lost Persons with Dementia: A Case Study of Ontario First Responders

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
N. A. Neubauer ◽  
A. Miguel-Cruz ◽  
L. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Practice Guideline ◽  
First Responders ◽  
Search And Rescue ◽  
Police Services ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Missing Persons ◽  
Education And Awareness ◽  
Funding Information

Information on strategies and practices in the search of missing persons with dementia is inconsistent which creates challenges for first responders, such as police, when they choose appropriate search and rescue approaches. The purpose of this study was to describe current strategies among police services in Ontario. Telephone interviews with police were conducted. Questions included what strategies were used for locating missing persons living with dementia, and what gaps exist in search practices. Participants described they used high- and low-tech solutions in search and rescue. They identified gaps in education and awareness, proactive strategies, resources, and funding. Information collected from the interviews was used to develop a practice guideline for police in partnership with the Alzheimer Society of Ontario.

An Effectiveness Evaluation of the Oregon State Revised Basic Police Academy Curriculum

2021 ◽  
pp. 38-54
Author(s):  
Stephen James ◽  
Staci Heintzman-Yutzie ◽  
Lois James
Keyword(s):  
Crisis Intervention ◽  
Use Of Force ◽  
Police Training ◽  
Effectiveness Evaluation ◽  
Police Legitimacy ◽  
Police Academy ◽  
Measurement Tool ◽  
Behavior Changes ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Curriculum Revision

In 2013 the State of Oregon passed House Bill 3194—the Justice Reinvestment act—resulting in the creation of the Oregon Center for Policing Excellence. One goal of the center was to revise the curriculum for the statewide Basic Police Academy, with a focus on topics such as communications, crisis intervention, and procedural justice. This curriculum revision was then evaluated independently. A force option simulator was used to assess recruit interaction with community members; this allowed for a reliable and repeatable measurement tool to assess each cohort month after month. Evaluation of behavior changes in recruits from before to after curriculum revisions revealed significant improvements in key policing skills related to interacting with civilians in ways that build trust in police legitimacy, de-escalating hostile situations, and reducing the need for use of force. This chapter describes the curriculum revision in detail, presents results, and discusses them in light of police training moving forward.

scholarly journals Salivary Cortisol Interactions in Search and Rescue Dogs and Their Handlers

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justyna Wojtaś ◽  
Mirosław Karpiński ◽  
Piotr Czyżowski
Keyword(s):  
Salivary Cortisol ◽  
Biological Material ◽  
Search And Rescue ◽  
Pronounced Effect ◽  
Strong Interactions ◽  
Stress Reactions ◽  
Hormone Concentration ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Missing Persons ◽  
Exam Stress

Search and rescue dogs are an important link in the search for missing persons. The aim of the study was to assess exam stress in search and rescue dogs and their handlers. The study included 41 rescue teams taking exams of field and rubble specialties. The level of cortisol, which is the main glucocorticosteroid modulating stress reactions in humans and dogs, was analyzed. The biological material used to assess the hormone concentration was saliva collected in a non-invasive way. In total, 164 test samples were collected: two from the dog and two from the handler before and immediately after the exam. Rescue exams were shown to significantly increase salivary cortisol in both dogs and their handlers. Strong interactions between cortisol levels in human–dog teams were also found with a more pronounced effect in female dog–female handler dyads.

scholarly journals Police officers’ experiences as victims of hate crime

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 526-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob C. Mawby ◽  
Irene Zempi
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Hate Crime ◽  
Police Training ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to fill a research and literature gap by examining the nature and impact of hate crime victimisation on police officers, and their responses to it. The research explores victimisation due to the occupational stigma of policing and the personal characteristics and identities of individual officers.Design/methodology/approachThe research design is qualitative, based on 20 in-depth interviews with police officers in one English police force. Thematic analysis was applied to the data.FindingsAll participants had experienced hate crime arising from their occupational or personal identities. Initially shocked, officers became desensitized and responded in different ways. These include tolerating and accepting hate crime but also challenging it through communication and the force of law.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is based on a small sample. It does not claim to be representative but it is exploratory, aiming to stimulate debate and further research on a contemporary policing issue.Practical implicationsIf further research works were to confirm these findings, there are implications for police training, officer welfare and support, supervision and leadership.Originality/valueThe police occupy a problematic position within hate crime literature and UK legislation. This paper opens up debate on an under-researched area and presents the first published study of the hate crime experiences of police officers.

scholarly journals Doing it Right - Critical Success Factors for Design Thinking Implementation

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 3851-3860
Author(s):  
Danielly De Paula ◽  
Franziska Dobrigkeit ◽  
Kathryn Cormican
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Critical Success Factors ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
The Body ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Research Topics ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Body Of Knowledge

AbstractProficiency in design thinking (DT) can contribute to the success of many companies. Successful implementation of DT can be achieved by identifying its Critical Success Factors (CSFs). Critical success factors are items or actions that should be present in a particular project or situation in order to be successful. However, to date, there has not been any formal study on synthesizing the critical success factors for a successful DT implementation based on existing research. In light of this, the aim of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework that proposes factors that may play a role in influencing the success of the DT implementation. Based on best practices and protocols from thematic analysis, we analyzed and synthesized extant literature in order to recognize research topics from the selected papers and categorize them into specific themes to build a framework. This study significantly contributes to the body of knowledge related to DT by offering the first attempt to identify CSFs for DT implementation, which can allow companies to take required precautions to elude failures or problematic areas and be able to increase the success rate of implementing DT

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