Dangerous Situation, No Notice

[Play Care]

Yesterday we had a situation in our town, where a mentally unstable man was walking around in the morning with a baseball bat, swinging it in a menacing manner. Police called and he was taken to MHU. My clients saw this all unfold on the way to my house and after dropping kids off saw man getting frisked by police. Called me to let me know, in case they let him go...
Later on that day we hear what sounds like gun shots. All the sudden roads were closed, no one could get in or out. Thankfully it's our Winter Break week (no school!) so my only family had already left. But, it was almost 70 degrees here (in upstate NY, in February - yes, this is unheard of!) so we were outside grilling, our kids were running the neighborhood with the other kids, etc. All the sudden my phone is blowing up with neighbors who 1. heard gun shots, or 2. can't get home because roads are closed and were being told by the police that we should all be inside on lock down.
Apparently the guy was released from MHU, went home, got his brother and a couple of guns and were shooting them off around the corner from my neighborhood and near the school

As a licensed provider, I have to notify police, fire etc that I'm a child care business for this very reason. Yet, I received NO notice that roads were blocked. Like I said, it was fine because my family happened to be gone already, but had it been a regular week, I would have had kids and had NO idea what was going on. And because it was so nice out, we would have been outside playing rather than being on lockdown. They were taken into custody and thankfully no one was hurt. But I am debating contacting the authorities again to remind them that I am a child care business.

[Josiegirl]

Without a doubt I'd be reminding them since you were never alerted!
Different day, different time, it could have been a tragedy.

[JackandJill]

So scary! I am glad you guys are all ok!

I would definitely be reminding them. Maybe you could send them a postcard/reminder once a quarter, just so its always on the front of their minds, God forbid something like this happens again!

[Blackcat31]

Wow! How scary! Glad everyone is okay!

Do you know what the laws actually say about the city or police dept's requirement to notify you (as a child care) when things like this occur?

I mean maybe they didn't have enough information yet to issue that type of notice or maybe they had the situation under control but the streets were simply blocked as a precautionary thing? I don't know I am just wondering what the rules/laws say in your area about how they handle this type of stuff.....

If they failed to do as they are legally required, I'd be POed for sure and would probably take my complaint as high as I could to ensure the rule/law is followed next time (praying there is NO next time..) but at the same time I can see the other side.....stopping to notify a business while trying to get a situation like that under control might not be something they were able to do given how quickly these things escalate or turn bad. kwim?

I'd definitely consider filing a complaint or taking your concerns to a higher level of city government but I'd read up and get to know the actual law/requirement first before hand. I like to have all my bases covered before I go in swinging..

Glad this was all done and over with before anyone got seriously hurt and I can't imagine what it was like but I am super happy to hear you are all okay!

:hug:

[Play Care]

Wow! How scary! Glad everyone is okay!

Do you know what the laws actually say about the city or police dept's requirement to notify you (as a child care) when things like this occur?

I mean maybe they didn't have enough information yet to issue that type of notice or maybe they had the situation under control but the streets were simply blocked as a precautionary thing? I don't know I am just wondering what the rules/laws say in your area about how they handle this type of stuff.....

If they failed to do as they are legally required, I'd be POed for sure and would probably take my complaint as high as I could to ensure the rule/law is followed next time (praying there is NO next time..) but at the same time I can see the other side.....stopping to notify a business while trying to get a situation like that under control might not be something they were able to do given how quickly these things escalate or turn bad. kwim?

I'd definitely consider filing a complaint or taking your concerns to a higher level of city government but I'd read up and get to know the actual law/requirement first before hand. I like to have all my bases covered before I go in swinging..

Glad this was all done and over with before anyone got seriously hurt and I can't imagine what it was like but I am super happy to hear you are all okay!

:hug:

I honestly don't know if they have any legal obligation to notify me or if it's just a courtesy? I probably should find out. ::
I think the situation was under control quickly, but neighbors who weren't being allowed home were being told by police that we (those home) were supposed to be inside with door locked. But how were we supposed to know?
My client came in today and she knows the guy (went to school with them) and said drugs have been an issue for years. This makes me sad. I lost my cousin last year from an overdose. What a waste of a life, you know?

[Mike]

I honestly don't know if they have any legal obligation to notify me or if it's just a courtesy? I probably should find out. ::
I think the situation was under control quickly, but neighbors who weren't being allowed home were being told by police that we (those home) were supposed to be inside with door locked. But how were we supposed to know?
My client came in today and she knows the guy (went to school with them) and said drugs have been an issue for years. This makes me sad. I lost my cousin last year from an overdose. What a waste of a life, you know?

That
Daycare or not, if it's serious enough for lock down, people living there have to know somehow.

Glad no one got hurt.

[KiwiKids]

Typically shelter in place orders will go out via social media or the news. Some areas have reverse 911 systems that will call landline phones. But often... there's simply not enough time or enough manpower to alert people immediately. In a situation like you stated, I would suspect all available resources were directed to finding the guys. We had roads blocked and some homes evacuated for a search warrant last week in my neighborhood where there was a big concern the house had dangerous chemicals. Alerts went out via the media. When we had police looking for bank robbers who shot a state trooper and fled, it was reverse 911 calls but it can take hours depending on how large a population they are trying to reach.

Where I live there is no law stating they have to notify but the department tries.

[Play Care]

Typically shelter in place orders will go out via social media or the news. Some areas have reverse 911 systems that will call landline phones. But often... there's simply not enough time or enough manpower to alert people immediately. In a situation like you stated, I would suspect all available resources were directed to finding the guys. We had roads blocked and some homes evacuated for a search warrant last week in my neighborhood where there was a big concern the house had dangerous chemicals. Alerts went out via the media. When we had police looking for bank robbers who shot a state trooper and fled, it was reverse 911 calls but it can take hours depending on how large a population they are trying to reach.

Where I live there is no law stating they have to notify but the department tries.

We do have reverse 911, and as far as I know, its been used once, when there was a bear in the neighborhood (we live in the country at the foothills of the Adirondack mountains so a bear isn't news...) My neighbor is the head of public safety for our county and he was annoyed that we were not notified by reverse 911 because he said that if roads are blocked and people are not being allowed to go home, there should be notification.
Wondering what, if anything, will come of that.

[KiwiKids]

It would seem like a reverse 911 situation for sure! Even if into takes time. Some notice is better than none at all!

[daycarediva]

Yesterday we had a situation in our town, where a mentally unstable man was walking around in the morning with a baseball bat, swinging it in a menacing manner. Police called and he was taken to MHU. My clients saw this all unfold on the way to my house and after dropping kids off saw man getting frisked by police. Called me to let me know, in case they let him go...
Later on that day we hear what sounds like gun shots. All the sudden roads were closed, no one could get in or out. Thankfully it's our Winter Break week (no school!) so my only family had already left. But, it was almost 70 degrees here (in upstate NY, in February - yes, this is unheard of!) so we were outside grilling, our kids were running the neighborhood with the other kids, etc. All the sudden my phone is blowing up with neighbors who 1. heard gun shots, or 2. can't get home because roads are closed and were being told by the police that we should all be inside on lock down.
Apparently the guy was released from MHU, went home, got his brother and a couple of guns and were shooting them off around the corner from my neighborhood and near the school

As a licensed provider, I have to notify police, fire etc that I'm a child care business for this very reason. Yet, I received NO notice that roads were blocked. Like I said, it was fine because my family happened to be gone already, but had it been a regular week, I would have had kids and had NO idea what was going on. And because it was so nice out, we would have been outside playing rather than being on lockdown. They were taken into custody and thankfully no one was hurt. But I am debating contacting the authorities again to remind them that I am a child care business.

They have notified me of water main breaks blocking roads, manhunts closing roads near me, state of emergency weather conditions, and an escape convict potentially in the area.

SO yes, I would call and ask what the policies are for your PD to notify not only residents but 'vulnerable entities'

[Josiegirl]

They have notified me of water main breaks blocking roads, manhunts closing roads near me, state of emergency weather conditions, and an escape convict potentially in the area.

SO yes, I would call and ask what the policies are for your PD to notify not only residents but 'vulnerable entities'

This is our small berg of a town too. You can sign up with the local official's site and give permission to be notified about things such as was mentioned here.