FIRST RESPONDER Confrontations with a Person with Special Needs

CONFRONTATIONS with a person with DISABILITIES can escalate quickly.....

Knowing how to contain the situation and de-escalate it whenever possible, and maintain safety is essential . It is all too common to hear of an encounter that went wrong. If someone uses a cell phone to capture the encounter it may go viral. The media will play these images over and over. There are far too many incidents with special needs individuals that have "gone wrong." One need only watch the news or read a newspaper to be aware of these encounters. However, it is rare for someone to take a video of a situation that is handled well and safely, that's boring. People do not video boring. The media does not put boring on the news, it's not sensationalized. There are no YouTube videos of successful and safe encounters with people who have special needs. Officers, first responders, and firefighters in the field need assistance in handling these challenging situations now. The men and women who are tasked with safeguarding the public must be provided with sufficient resources and the necessary tools for an appropriate response.

Presently, only a few states are requiring legislation for the establishment of specific training in special needs and disabilities for the law enforcement community, first responders and firefighters. More states are now recognizing the need to adopt practices and require instruction and training in this important area for the professionals who put their lives on the line every day. *

* copyright, Barbara Morvay, Responding to Incidents Involving PERSONS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, A Manual for First Responders, 2019, Looseleaf Law, Inc. NY.