Latest news with #DougRichardson
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Clive police hand out awareness stickers to help communication in emergencies
CLIVE, Iowa — The Clive Police Department is trying to improve communication with those who have medical conditions or disabilities that impact their ability to respond to verbal commands. The new Emergency Awareness Stickers Program is providing free stickers that can be placed on home entrances or vehicles to alert emergency personnel that someone inside may have a condition or disability that requires more care or understanding. They got the idea from a department in Indiana and realized it's low cost, high reward. They have six stickers so far that people can pick up for free at the Clive Police Department Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Autism or special needs Alzheimer's or dementia Diabetes A hearing impairment A seizure disorder A disability affecting mobility or communication DMPS dedicates Stop the Bleed program to Doug Richardson 'It's an awareness program so that our officers have all the information that they could possibly need or as much as they could gather prior to getting to a residence or a business and sometimes even on a traffic stop,' Clive Police Chief Mark Rehberg said. 'At the beginning of those calls, a lot of times we don't get that information from dispatch. It's not necessarily a question that is asked of a person calling in.' The autism sticker is the most requested sticker that has been picked up so far, followed by the Alzheimer's/dementia sticker. 'It's not to call anybody out, it's not to identify people on the block that might be suffering from these types of diagnoses. We just want to have that information so if they can get just one little tidbit of info knocking on a door, that's going to help things,' Rehberg said. They're also trying to reduce the use of force. 'The biggest thing is just communication and them not understanding what we want them to do and us not understanding why they won't do what we're asking them to do,' the Clive chief added. 'Typically, that usually doesn't go very well. It turns into those use of force cases that we see. Use of force is never a good look. It doesn't matter if you're fighting with a criminal or you're trying to wrestle somebody that was on the spectrum, for example, they just don't look good. So, we want to try to avoid that. That's what the purpose of this is, is just to give us a little bit more information when I go and knock at somebody's door and I see that sticker, hey, this person might have dementia, they might not respond the way we normally would think. It gives us a little bit more heads up and that information that we need to handle the call better.' Polk County has a similar program where they stick signs in peoples' yards. After Clive PD posted the stickers on their Facebook page, the comments were flooded with people tagging their police departments to get this program too. Many departments commented back saying they'll look into it. Metro News: Clive police hand out awareness stickers to help communication in emergencies Adventureland's former owner settles lawsuit over 11-year-old's drowning 147th Annual All-Alumni Scarlet Celebration takes place this weekend DMPS dedicates Stop the Bleed program to Doug Richardson Celebrated comedian bringing 2025 tour to Des Moines this fall Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
DMPS dedicates Stop the Bleed program to Doug Richardson
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines Public School district is honoring its former public safety manager Doug Richardson, who died unexpectedly earlier this year. 'Though Doug is no longer with us, the lessons he taught and the memories we shared will remain etched in our hearts forever,' Melissa Abbott, health services manager at DMPS, said. 'I am proud to announce this is the first cabinet that has been hung at East High School, district-wide, in remembrance of Doug Richardson.' That first cabinet is part of the district's Stop the Bleed program. Richardson worked with Abbott to equip schools with Stop the Bleed kits in case of an emergency. He was also instrumental in adding Narcan and AEDs to the district's more than 60 buildings and vehicles. Julie Stauch announces run for Iowa governor Richardson's passion for public and school safety was evident throughout his career. Friends and family say Monday's dedication was a fitting tribute for him to forever be remembered at East High. 'East, I would say, was the biggest challenge to keep safe. And if there was one thing about him, he would never back down from a challenge,' Meegan Richardson, Doug's daughter, said. 'He always wanted to go straight into the problem and find a solution that benefited everyone.' East High School Principal Jill Versteeg said Richardson was always focused on the safety of students and staff. 'He would always take the chance to sit down and talk with staff members if they had concerns or they weren't sure why a policy was in place or why a system was in place,' Versteeg said. 'He was kind of my right hand to be able to do that and explain those after some pretty tragic events here.' A federal grant is helping the school district buy 184 kits to equip buildings and athletic facilities. Metro News: DMPS dedicates Stop the Bleed program to Doug Richardson Celebrated comedian bringing 2025 tour to Des Moines this fall Virtual reality arcade at Merle Hay Mall faces harsh reality How some DSM residents conserve water after CIWW reduction use request Riders share style and stories, Coolest Bike in Town show Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Community honors Doug Richardson during funeral service
DES MOINES, Iowa — Law enforcement from across the metro gathered to honor the service of Norwalk Fire Department's Captain Doug Richardson. Norwalk Fire Department Captain Doug Richardson died unexpectedly on January 28th. Wednesday, friends and family gathered at Lutheran Church of Hope to honor his life and years of service. Throughout his 28 years of public service, Doug worked with several agencies and held several positions, including firefighter, medical dispatcher, reserve police officer and public safety manager. Those who knew him best, said Richardson's life of public service started at a young age. 'Doug actually ended up with a job at eight years old and was seen riding his bike like the wind towards the fire station when there was a call because his job, thanks to his dad who was on the department, was to close the doors after the trucks left,' said retired Assistant Fire Chief Tony Collins, Clive Police Department. Richardson dedicated his life to Norwalk and public service, but his greatest joy was his friends and family. 'He was a public servant, best friend, son, teacher, uncle, husband,' said friend Jeff Caldwell. 'This guy who would drop everything for anyone, many times with a laugh, but most importantly, this man for whom, despite having what seemed like 100 jobs, had one job that was his most important pursuit in his life, and that was as a father.' 'His family was always put first, and he cherished his role as a father, a son, a partner, an uncle that always came first,' said Sergeant Paul Parizek, Des Moines Police Department. 'Doug did life right, and he did it with a smile on his face.' Those who loved him most will have constant reminders of his legacy as a serviceman. One of Doug's many roles was as a public safety manager for Des Moines Public Schools. There, he helped lay the foundation for a program which could help save countless lives. 'We had just started to work together on a Stop the Bleed project through Polk County Health Emergency Preparedness, where we will be installing just under 200 new cabinets with kits throughout our buildings and athletic facilities,' said Melissa Abbott, Des Moines Public Schools health Services manager. 'I am continuing to move forward with this project and want to share for the first time that we will be dedicating this project in remembrance of Doug.' This dedication is just one way that Doug's legacy will live on. Doug leaves behind his fiancé and her two children, his parents and sister, and his two children. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
