PROGRAM POLICY

Subject: K.I.S.S. Program / Emergency Notifications Effective: 12/01/09
and Welfare Checks

PURPOSE: The purpose of this standard operating procedure is to establish guidelines for the K.I.S.S. program, which is an acronym for “Keeping Inbound Seniors Safe,” and to establish procedures for performing welfare checks on vulnerable Lake Placid occupants when requested. It is also the purpose of this policy to establish procedure for doing requested welfare checks and notifications regarding any person within the Town of Lake Placid and for making notifications to same.

DISCUSSION: It is the policy of the Lake Placid Police Department to maintain to maintain an awareness of vulnerable full time residents within the town limits and to perform periodic welfare checks on these residents. It is also the policy of The Lake Placid Police Department to do limited individual welfare checks on any occupant of the Town of Lake Placid when reasonable. It is also the policy of The Lake Placid Police Department to notify the next of kin of seriously ill, seriously injured, or deceased persons in a prompt, courteous, and considerate manner, when such notifications are necessary and to assist with locating next of kin.

DEFINITIONS:

KISS Member - A person on the KISS list

KISS Member List - A list maintained and published by a person designated by the Chief

Deceased Person - A person who is obviously dead or has been legally pronounced dead.

Seriously Ill Person - A person who is in imminent danger of dying due to an illness or medical condition.

Seriously Injured Person - A person who has received an injury serious enough that it may cause death.

PROCEDURE:

KEEPING INBOUND SENIORS SAFE PROGRAM (KISS)

40.01.01 Consistent with its mission statement, the Lake Placid Police Department values the safety and welfare of all persons living in or interacting with the Town of Lake Placid. The department shall use to Keeping Inbound Seniors Safe (KISS) Program to maintain awareness of vulnerable persons within the town’s limits. The program may include any vulnerable person, whether the person is a senior or not.

40.01.02 The Lake Placid Police Department KISS list maintenance person designated by the Police Chief shall maintain a list of all KISS members at a computer location that is easily accessible by all police department members.

40.01.03 A KISS member may be added to the KISS list by anyone. No person will be placed on the KISS list pursuant to any anonymous call or request. It is preferred that a family member contact, or guardian, exist in case the KISS member is found to be endangered at any time.

40.01.04 The Chief of Police may refuse placement of any person on the KISS list and shall do so by notification to the person who placed the person on the list. The police department assumes no obligation or liability for any KISS member’s welfare. Family member’s and responsible guardians should perform their own welfare checks and be responsible for loved ones who are in need regardless of police awareness of the vulnerability.

Persons with extreme illnesses which result in the person’s mental instability, should be placed in a facility intended for 24/7 monitoring of such circumstances.

40.01.05 When a new member is added to the list the designated KISS list recorder shall notify all members by an email that there is a new KISS member, the name of the member, the address and contact telephone number for the KISS member.

40.01.06 The form attached to this policy shall be completed as best possible before entering any person on the KISS list.

40.01.07 The police department shall attempt to check on KISS members at least once weekly on each Tuesday day shift depending on availability of personnel. All checks shall be logged with dispatch. Officers shall be aware of KISS list members so as to contribute to KISS member’s safety should a critical event arise which may threaten the KISS member. The police department shall monitor emergency conditions which impact the Town of Lake Placid such as extreme weather conditions, wildfires, Hazmat events, and others, and shall perform notices and checks for KISS members during such threats.

KISS contacts may be accomplished by the KISS list designee by telephone. The designee shall log the contact with dispatch.

40.01.08 The KISS list shall be considered secure information. Members who are on the KISS list shall be released to the public, or to any public records request, only upon the Chief’s approval.

40.01.09 Officer’s performing KISS member checks shall:
▸ Log the check with dispatch
▸ Make actual voice contact with the KISS member
▸ Be courteous at all times
▸ Call emergency services in the event the officer observes any condition which indicates the KISS member is endangered or seriously ill.
▸ Initiate notification of any person listed on the initial KISS form, or a relative or guardian, or an appropriate agency responsible for the welfare of an endangered person whom the officer feels is incapable of self care.

Officers performing KISS member checks shall NOT:
▸ Perform any medical services or medical evaluations beyond the scope of basic first responder, CPR, or size up and subsequent reporting of an obviously deteriorating condition.
▸ Perform any repair type services

40.01.10 Follow-up investigation and notification of next of kin shall be the responsibility of the assigned officer. Officers shall conduct an investigation and assure the safety of any KISS member who is not answering a safety check when they should. The chief shall be notified of any KISS member who appears to be abusing KISS checks by intentionally not answering, or other actions. Such KISS list members may be removed from weekly checks.

EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS

40.01.11 The Lake Placid Police Department conducts investigations where it is necessary to notify a victim's next of kin. The police department also receives requests from other jurisdictions, both public and private, to assist in next of kin notifications. Members shall use data resources at the member’s access to help locate persons needed for contact.

40.01.12 Next of kin notifications shall be carried out in a prompt, courteous, and considerate manner, following the guidelines of this directive.

NOTIFICATIONS DUE TO LOCAL INVESTIGATIONS:

40.01.13 Members in charge of investigations involving death, seriously injured or seriously ill persons shall determine if the next of kin has been notified. If not, it is the responsibility of the member to see that notification is effected.

40.01.14 Members shall exercise good judgment in determining which kin to notify. Notification should, if possible, be the closest kin, but circumstances may rule other wise. The notification of any close kin will comply with this order.

40.01.15 All notifications made within the Town of Lake Placid, or by request of other jurisdictions, shall be made in person. All notifications made outside of Highlands County shall be made through the respective law enforcement agencies of the locality in which the notification is to be made.

40.01.16 All requests from other jurisdictions, public or private, shall be confirmed by requesting teletype confirmation from the respective law enforcement agency. Private individuals making requests directly to the Lake Placid Police Department shall be directed to their local law enforcement agency.

NOTIFICATIONS MADE WITHIN HIGHLANDS COUNTY:

40.01.17 Officers delivering notifications should have as much information available as possible to enable them to carry out the notification in a professional and considerate manner.

40.01.18 The officer should evaluate the information and if necessary contact friends, neighbors, clergy.

40.01.19 Upon making notification, the officer should stand by and render assistance to the next of kin and when necessary contact clergy, contact medical assistance if necessary, assist in contacting other kin, contact neighbors and/or friends for assistance, the officer may also contact a Sheriff's Office Victim Advocate and discuss the possibility of their response.

40.01.20 If it is felt that a Victim Advocate should respond, the officer will contact a Victim Advocate and explain the situation.

NOTIFICATIONS MADE OUT OF HIGHLANDS COUNTY:

40.01.21 Notifications to next of kin out of Highlands County of a seriously injured, seriously ill, or deceased person shall be made through the appropriate law enforcement agency having jurisdiction where the next of kin is located.

40.01.22 The officer should contact the respective agency, either by having a teletype sent, or by phone in emergency cases, providing as much information as possible, and request contact be made.
▸ If by teletype, and the explanation is complex or time consuming, the officer may give a phone number to be called back.
▸ If contact is made by phone only, a confirming teletype must be sent.

The officer shall request teletype confirmation that notification has been made. The confirmation should include the name and relationship and the time of notification.

40.01.23 The officer will abide by any other requests or regulations of the respective agency. Many agencies will only deliver a message that there has been an emergency, and give the person a number to call. In such a case, the officer must be at or respond to a phone where they can be called to deliver the message.

UNDELIVERED NOTIFICATIONS:

40.01.24 If unable to deliver a notification, the officer shall note in their report all efforts made, including names, addresses, telephone numbers and times attempted.

Follow-up investigation and notification of next of kin shall be the responsibility of the assigned officer. Officer’s should transfer the assignment to the next shift in cases where the intended contact is not home.

REPORTS:

40.01.25 If the notification or attempt is connected to a local investigation, the officer's actions as to the notification results shall documented on a supplement report.

40.01.26 If the notification is a request from another agency, and no other investigation or involved follow-up is necessary, the notification may be documented by comments entered into the CAD system.

40.01.27 Include the person notified or unable to locate, relationship to the victim, and date and time of notification or attempts. Copies of teletype requests and confirmations sent to or received from other agencies shall be attached to the report.

 

The Registration form is included at the link below.  Please be ready to furnish the information on the form when calling to register someone for our KISS Program List