First let me say I have the deepest respect for all men and women who put on the uniform and protect and serve in Law Enforcement.
My issue is this.We need to insist the law enforcement make changes in how they respond to the mentally challenged individuals and the calls regarding these folks.
Having served in LE for 12 years and as an EMT for 25 years, I know all to well the priority given to those with mental health issues is a VERY LOW priority. This is due to a combination of lack of funding, mental health facilities, treatment programs, etc.
But it doesn't just affect the person suffering from the mental health issues.
Last night I received a very late night call regarding a 47 yo woman suffering from depression and going through treatment for Cancer. She walked away from her home in Hood River, Oregon yesterday at 0900hrs. And the family and her friends wanted a search dog team immediately to locate her to try and save her life.
I asked the family to contact their local sheriff's office (Hood River County SO) and request a deputy come out take a missing persons report and to have their office of emergency management activate a search dog team to respond.
The family made the request and was told, "We'll send a deputy out tomorrow during day shift to take a report" we'll put a B.O.L.O. out for her (Be on the look out)." We (Hood River Co.) doesn't have a tracking dog team".
The family again requested I.K.9.S.A.R.S. Respond a search dog team. I again asked them to contact the SO (Sheriff's office) and inform the supervisor that this missing person has serious mental health issues and to contact the Oregon office of emergency management to bring out a search dog team immediately.They (The S.O). Didn’t do anything.
The family again called me and I then responded personally with SAR Dog Tyler and Willow at 0500hrs.
We found her alive today within two MINUTES of arriving on scene.
(Note) The friends and family informed me they searched this shed several times yesterday and found nothing. This shed is a 40' foot x 50' storage shed for tools, kayaks, camping supplies etc.
When we found her, the poor woman was curled up inside this shed suffering from a severe mental episode and totally out of it.
We got lucky; she could have wandered off into the nearby woods and could have died from hypothermia or from the bears and cougars in the area.
After sitting down and talking with her for a while I could see that she was totally out of it.
I contacted her family; they responded and transported her to a hospital for admission.
It's the sheriff's office job to respond and take a report when a person is missing. It brings it to a higher priority when the person has medical issues.
Hood River let this woman down and her family had to suffer as well not knowing if she was dead or alive.
Shame on them.
Some priorities need to change here.
Harry Oakes
IK9SARS
www.k9sardog.com
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