MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio (WOIO) – The Mayfield Heights Police Department is preparing to swear in the first class of its Special Responders Unit, a program designed to help people with special needs become familiar with first responders and the work they do.
Seven participants have spent four sessions learning about safety and emergency response — riding in a SWAT vehicle, spraying a fire hose and meeting the officers who patrol their neighborhoods. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 24.
Building trust before an emergency
Sgt. Matthew Mikolay, who leads the program, said the goal is to establish familiarity before a crisis occurs.
“It’s intended to get them to feel comfortable around us. So when they need us, they feel comfortable. And that trust has already been built again before the emergency. And you could already see it working now,” Mikolay said…