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Gives Precise
Location
Isolated Areas a Concern Civilian employees presently have personal alarms and are protected by law-enforcement personnel at medium- and maximum-security correctional facilities across New York State. But there are parts of the prison such as classrooms and libraries where they are partially isolated. "Security personnel keep an eye on certain areas of a prison, but they don't walk step-in-step with every civilian employee," said DOCS spokesman Erik Kriss. The Bosch Security Escort Personal Alarm System devices will enhance the personal alarms currently in use. "It's similar to a GPS system," Mr. Kriss remarked. "They are going to tell you exactly where the person is, and if there is movement, which direction the movement is in. It will enable security personnel to get there a lot faster." There have been several recent attacks against civilians, but assaults against staff have generally decreased over the past several years, he noted. "This is just one of those things that you have to always be vigilant," he added. Assault Foiled On July 7, 2006, Principal Stores Clerk Anthony Rebich heard a commotion coming from an isolated corridor which leads from the storehouse to the mess hall kitchen at the Auburn Correctional Facility. Upon examining, he discovered a convicted rapist assaulting a female civilian employee who was face down on the floor with the inmate on her back. Authorities later learned that the inmate attempted to tie her hands and place a towel in her mouth. Mr. Rebich was awarded the Medal of Honor at a June 7 ceremony. "She was lucky and he was a hero," Mr. Kriss said during a Sept. 18 phone interview. "He wasn't afraid and came to the aid of a fellow employee. If this civilian employee had one of the more modern alarms, you would have had people down there instantly to help her, even though she was in an isolated corridor." Union officials welcomed the department's three-year project, which is set to begin at the Auburn, Elmira, and Gowanda Correctional facilities. "The unions have been trying to get these alarms for a long time," Mr. Kriss said. Other Facilities Set The program is also scheduled to be expanded to Mid-State, Sing Sing, Bedford, Clinton and possibly other prisons next year. "This will save lives by improving the safety and security of civilian employees who work with inmates," said Danny Donohue, president of the Civil Service Employees Association. "Worksite security is one of CSEA's highest priorities, and we are pleased that we are able to achieve this important advance through labor-management cooperation." DOCS Commissioner Brian Fischer said the devices will give civilian employees "peace of mind" that officers will reach them as quickly as possible during an emergency. "The number of assaults on our staff has declined significantly over the last two decades, and this improvement in technology should help make our facilities even safer," he said in a statement. Other Unions Pleased The program was also hailed by Tom Donahue, the Public Employees Federation statewide labor/management chair, and Larry Flanagan, president of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, which represents officers and Sergeants. DOCS began testing and evaluating the new devices with a prototype at Sullivan Correctional Facility in 2005. The system was tried over a three-month period with 15 civilian employees and union representatives at the facility hospital and its Behavioral Health Unit. "Bottom line - prisons are dangerous places," Mr. Kriss said. | |||||
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