This week’s featured question was submitted for an officer of the Merrill Police Department.
“I was told Merrill officers go to medical emergencies too, is this true? If so, do Merrill officers go to special medical training to help with these emergencies or are they there to just stand by and make the area safe? I guess I would be surprised if they do, where I come from officers only went to medical calls if there was safety problems, someone being violent and so on. Thanks.”
Answer as given by Merrill Police Chief Corey Bennett:
“Merrill PD officers respond to most medical emergencies within the City. MPD officers, and most WI Police Officers in general, are trained first responders. So we can render a limited amount of assistance at a medical emergency. We carry AED’s and a small pack of medical supplies in every squad and have experienced successes in using them. For the most part, our officers respond to medical emergencies to assess the situation, relay information to incoming EMS units, stabilize/secure the scene, and render aid up to our level of training as necessary. Thankfully, for Merrill citizens, our paramedics arrive at close to the same time as our officers and advanced care is rendered to the patient rather quickly. It’s easy to take those local services for granted but the short response times have probably saved many lives. That provides some peace of mind to those living in or visiting our City. Thank you for the question.”
Have a question or concern you would like to address? Simply send your question or concern to [email protected] along with an indication of which entity your question or concern pertains to. Current participants are the Merrill Police Department, Merrill Fire Department, Tomahawk Police Department, Lincoln County Administrative Coordinator Randy Scholz, Merrill City Administrator Dave Johnson, Merrill Area Housing Authority Director Paul Russell and merrill area public schools (MAPS) superintendent Dr. John Sample. Please note: Those who submit to the ‘Ask an Official’ feature remain anonymous.