Latest news with #SeanMcGinley
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Leeds-Liverpool towpath work connects communities
The final section of a historical Yorkshire towpath which links two communities in different counties has been resurfaced and two-mile stretch between Kildwick in North Yorkshire and Silsden in West Yorkshire had been described as the "missing link" on the Leeds to Liverpool Canal and River Trust, which was responsible for the project, said the work meant the path would now directly connect the two places and be easier for people to walk or cycle along. Sean McGinley, from the trust, said the route, which is more than 200 years old, was a "national treasure" which needed "ongoing care to remain open, navigable, and accessible for all". About £1.8m was spent on improvements, which included better access for people with mobility difficulties and pushchairs, as well as the addition of new signs and widening of the path as the longest single canal for the passage of boats, the 34-mile (54km) route connects Leeds and Bradford to Skipton and charity said it took in "some of the most picturesque and uplifting open countryside along England's canal networks" as well as heritage including the Bingley Five Rise Locks. The work was carried out in a partnership between Bradford Council, North Yorkshire Council and the West Yorkshire Combined McGinley said: "These improvements not only help to safeguard our rich canal heritage but also make it easier and more appealing for more people to experience the health benefits of spending time by water."David Skaith, mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said: "For too long, this vital missing link on the towpath represented a missed opportunity for communities in North and West Yorkshire." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Geisinger implements new police program; bolsters security
Following a shooting in late February at a medical care facility in York that left two dead, including the gunman, and several medical professionals injured, one area hospital system is bolstering its security team with private police officers. Geisinger recently swore in 10 new officers, bringing the total number to 13. The officers will patrol Geisinger facilities, maintaining jurisdiction across the health system, and will supplement state and local police departments, who will help manage most criminal matters. The officers' responsibilities differ from traditional security guards, in that they will carry firearms and nonlethal protection, and are approved by the courts and sworn into their positions locally. Additionally, candidates for the Geisinger police program need previous law enforcement experience, and must take part in background checks and training along the lines of what would be required for law enforcement officers. 'Everyone deserves a safe and secure healing and working environment,' said Sean McGinley, Geisinger's associate vice president of security operations and a former Pennsylvania State Police officer. 'Trends across the health care industry show a rising incidence of violent events in health care settings and specifically toward health care workers over the past few years, something we all have been reminded of recently. Unfortunately, this is no different at Geisinger. Bringing private police officers to Geisinger is the next step in meeting the security needs of our organization.' In addition to this newest level of security at Geisinger, installation of metal detection equipment at hospital emergency rooms, hundreds of security cameras that use artificial intelligence to automatically alert security to real-time dangers, specialized staff training and a K-9 program round out safety protocols that have been implemented in the past five years. 'This program has been thoughtfully planned over some time, and we know bringing this new team to Geisinger will benefit our staff, patients and visitors,' said McGinley. 'We've studied the trends and learned how our colleagues in health care and other industries across the state and country have implemented similar programs. Safety is our top priority for everyone, and this is yet another way we can strive to achieve that.' Per a news release, Geisinger intends to recruit additional officers for the program. On the company's career website, there are currently 12 job listings calling for 'Security Officer I' in Danville, CommunityCare Mount Pleasant, CommunityCare Kistler Clinic in Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Bloomsburg and Hazle Twp., with one listing calling to fill a security supervisor role in Scranton. The job summary states that the role includes the responsibility to maintain 'safety and security for an assigned area,' and maintain 'safety and security of patients, visitors, and employees.' It calls for officers to conduct 'routine patrols of assigned areas to keep property and persons free from risk,' and to respond to 'emergencies, fire alarms, hazardous material incidents,' and deal with 'conflict, confrontation and stressful situations on a routine basis.' Other duties include reporting and resolving problems, locking and unlocking doors, operating security technology equipment and directing traffic on hospital property. An educational requirement of GED or equivalent, with a minimum requirement of one year of experience in security, police or military, and a certification with the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety are required. There is no listed salary range for the positions. The program may offer some relief for beleaguered nurses. Jennifer Graham Partyka, 52, notices troubling issues around security at the hospitals where she has worked as a nurse and nurse supervisor for the past 30 years, starting with the idea that security is 'always reactive.' 'There's nothing proactive going on in any of the hospitals where nurses work,' she said, adding that people who enter are not being screened at the door. 'There might be a sign there that says, 'no guns allowed,' but no one is protecting the staff indoors.' While Partyka has forgotten the fine details, she recalled the broad strokes regarding the abuse she's experienced as a nurse over three decades. 'I've been beat up at work a whole bunch of times. … I've been punched and hit and cursed at and called fat. … It's happened my whole career for 30 years,' Partyka said. 'If you talk to nurses that have done it for a really long time, we have come to accept that it is a part of the job.' While that may traditionally be some nurses' experience, Partyka said the younger generation of nurses coming in refuses to tolerate an unsafe work environment. 'The new nurses are saying, 'Hell no, we're not doing that,' and thanks to them we may see some changes in the job,' said Partyka, who sits on the board of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, adding that nurses are 'taught not to be confrontational.' 'You're taught to manage these scenarios as if you really can control them,' Partyka said. 'If I ever had a staff member that was harmed, I would never in a million years say, 'What could you have done differently?' That reinforces that it's the staff member's fault.' Partyka's most recent role, a remote position, takes her out of a confrontational work environment. 'It's such a relief,' she said, adding that she works 'right alongside' her dog, Henry. 'He's the best co-worker I ever had; he's the best patient I ever had.' While she believes working from home reduces or eliminates her exposure to a harmful work environment, she can't help but think about the people who need her. 'I feel a lot of survivor's guilt,' Partyka said, noting that she intends to start volunteering at a women's center near her. 'I know how to take really good care of patients.' In the meantime, Partyka is basking in her peaceful work environment. 'After 30 years,' she said, 'maybe I owe this to myself.'
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
UK's deepest canal lock gets spring clean
The UK's deepest single canal lock has been partially drained for a spring clean. Canal & River Trust volunteers are removing debris and litter from Tuel Lane Lock, on the Rochdale Canal in Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, in preparation for the busier boating months ahead. The lock lowers and raises boats almost 20ft (6m) as they make their journeys over the Pennines, the trust said. The charity said it recently launched its biggest ever volunteering campaign to ask for help protecting its 250-year-old network of waterways and historic structures. Unlike most locks, members of the public are not allowed to operate the mechanisms themselves, because of its depth and its proximity to a tunnel. Instead, the trust said that lock-keepers helped crews to negotiate the gates. The lock is so deep because it replaced a pair of earlier locks when it was built in 1996 to enable the canal to tunnel under a road built on its original level and provide a more efficient route. Volunteer Maureen Readle said: "I've enjoyed lots and lots of canal boating holidays with my husband. We wanted to help give back to the canals by volunteering when we retired. "I have also adopted a stretch of the canal, too, which my husband and I look after. "When I took part the first time two years ago, I'd never worn a pair of waders before, let alone being waist high in water, helping to look after the UK's deepest lock." Sean McGinley, regional director, Yorkshire & North East at Canal & River Trust, said: "Lock-keepers, many of whom are volunteers, are the face of the canals and play a vital and iconic role within our charity. "Lock-keepers have been a presence on Britain's canals for hundreds of years, although the role has changed over time. "Today, they help to look after the nation's beautiful waterways, assist boaters on their journeys, provide information and advice to visitors on the towpath, and maintain historic locks." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Canal charity offers public lock-keeping lessons Canal & River Trust
BBC News
03-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Tuel Lane Lock: UK's deepest canal lock gets spring clean
The UK's deepest single canal lock has been partially drained for a spring & River Trust volunteers are removing debris and litter from Tuel Lane Lock, on the Rochdale Canal in Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, in preparation for the busier boating months lock lowers and raises boats almost 20ft (6m) as they make their journeys over the Pennines, the trust charity said it recently launched its biggest ever volunteering campaign to ask for help protecting its 250-year-old network of waterways and historic structures. Unlike most locks, members of the public are not allowed to operate the mechanisms themselves, because of its depth and its proximity to a the trust said that lock-keepers helped crews to negotiate the lock is so deep because it replaced a pair of earlier locks when it was built in 1996 to enable the canal to tunnel under a road built on its original level and provide a more efficient Maureen Readle said: "I've enjoyed lots and lots of canal boating holidays with my husband. We wanted to help give back to the canals by volunteering when we retired."I have also adopted a stretch of the canal, too, which my husband and I look after."When I took part the first time two years ago, I'd never worn a pair of waders before, let alone being waist high in water, helping to look after the UK's deepest lock." Sean McGinley, regional director, Yorkshire & North East at Canal & River Trust, said: "Lock-keepers, many of whom are volunteers, are the face of the canals and play a vital and iconic role within our charity."Lock-keepers have been a presence on Britain's canals for hundreds of years, although the role has changed over time."Today, they help to look after the nation's beautiful waterways, assist boaters on their journeys, provide information and advice to visitors on the towpath, and maintain historic locks." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
10-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Tees Barrage litter picking volunteers enticed by free San Seb coffee
A coffee van owner has said dozens of bags of litter have been collected by volunteers after he enticed them with free 2023, more than 50 bins have been removed along the Tees Barrage which is being blamed for regularly dumped rubbish in the area, although that is refuted by the Canal and River Trust Lowe from San Seb Coffee said he had been offering a free coffee and a homemade badge to anyone who borrowed one of his litter pickers, with "about 50 bags" being filled in the past two trust thanked the volunteers and said it had been "struggling to make ends meet" when it chose to remove the bins, so it had had to "make some tough decisions". That stretch of the River Tees in Stockton is a popular walking route but it has built a reputation for litter in recent Lowe told BBC Radio Tees that the response to his initiative had been "amazing". "It's also very good for encouraging kids to come down and protect the environment, and just to care for their area," he said."It's one of the most beautiful parts of the North East in my opinion, and we need to look after it."Canal and River Trust regional director Sean McGinley said it had cost £30,000 a year to maintain the bins at the said removing them was a "tough choice", but that it had been done all over the country. Mr McGinley added that removing the bins had not made a "great difference" to the litter issue."We had litter before, when we had the litter bins, and we've still got a bit of litter now," he thanked the volunteers, saying it was "fantastic to see their efforts helping us and the more the merrier". Responsibility for the clean-up ultimately lies with Stockton Borough Council, according to government the landowner is expected to maintain the area, the council could be prosecuted if it failed to take enforcement action where Borough Council leader Bob Cook previously acknowledged the Labour-led council had those powers "if the need arose", adding it had not taken any action against the Canal and River Trust and was not considering doing so "at this stage". Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
