Tammy had received a call from a male who stated that he wanted to kill a police officer and had the means to do so. He had told Tammy that he was in possession of firearms and an explosive device. Throughout these drastic claims, Tammy remained calm and continued talking with him for nearly an hour and a half, carefully noting his comments and anything that was escalating his behaviour. Karrie then took over the call and turned the conversation towards the positive aspects of his life, hoping he could stay focused and regain his composure. Karrie eventually teamed up with Detective Bryan Kincheloe from EPS’ Crisis Negotiators Unit and they remained on the call for an additional hour and a half and they successfully negotiated a peaceful surrender.
“The outcome of this call is a great representation of professionalism, empathy and teamwork on the part of Tammy, Karrie and Det. Kincheloe,” Sergeant Curtis Auger stated.
Also this month, Staff Sergeant Mark Fay, Cst. Jeffrey Hay, Cst. Heinz Schilling, CAA Bonnie Dunlop, and ECO Brian Kinahan were presented with the Award of Merit for their life-saving efforts on February 23, 2021.
One of our ECOMB team members in Southeast Division suffered a heart attack while at work. Several team members took immediate action to ensure the team member would be kept safe and receive vital medical assistance. S/Sgt Mark Fay contacted AHS immediately for an ambulance, Brian retrieved the AED in the event it was needed and he went to Jeff for additional help, and Jeff provided Aspirin under the direction of the EMS evaluator; it is strongly believed that the Aspirin helped our employee’s recovery. Bonnie and Cst. Schilling remained with the employee, providing reassurance and comfort as part of the first aid protocols for caring for a heart attack patient. The employee commented later that, although he was confused, he appreciated knowing people were attending to him.
The employee’s wife arrived at Southeast Division before the ambulance left, so Bonnie offered to drive her to the hospital where cardiac specialists were waiting. Typical of a February day, it was very cold, and the roads were snow covered, so Bonnie drove the her to ensure she arrived safely and without any issue.
“The collective exemplary actions of Mark, Brian, Jeff, Bonnie, and Heinz ensured that their team member was taken care of during an extremely serious, life threatening event, and their response likely played a part in the positive outcome and recovery he experienced,” Inspector Christa Pennie expressed. “The level of care, concern, and action that these members displayed during this event is representative of how they respond every day.”
