What’s up with all those sirens?
It’s a question that pops up frequently in our local social media groups.
I get the curiosity and I get the concern, especially in a smaller community such as South Delta, but why is when it comes to these emergency situations, that everyone instantly needs to know what is going on?
Speculation and comments can lead to false information running rampant in our community, which is disconcerting and hurtful to someone who is involved in or knows someone involved.
Case in point, about a month ago, there was a medical incident outside a coffee shop in Tsawwassen. Police and paramedics were called and a medical tent was put up by police. The question was asked what was going on? We asked the question as well – directly to our media contacts at Delta Police, which is our job, and they confirmed it was a non-suspicious, sudden death. That didn’t stop the speculation, however, as someone posted that it was a homicide. This was a tragic day for that person’s family, friends and loved ones and it didn’t need to be exacerbated by the rumour mill.
These posts and questions about sirens is also not lost on the police.
Media spokesperson Cris Leykauf and I have talked extensively about this.
Here are a few words she recently shared: “Generally speaking, police need to respond appropriately to incidents as they are described to us when they are called in. Sometimes that requires lights and sirens, and multiple police cars. However, not infrequently, once the investigation begins, police sometimes find that what was called in doesn’t necessarily match the facts and circumstances that are determined to be present. There can be a wide range of reasons for this – people might think they saw or heard something, misunderstand the circumstances of what they witnessed, be experiencing a mental health crisis, be experiencing the effects of drugs and alcohol, or on the flip side people might downplay the seriousness of what occurred for any number of reasons.”
Wise words for all of us to remember when we hear the sirens. And the next time before you post, know that our first responders are responding to a potential crisis. Let them do their jobs. And if you need to know, they will let us know when the time is appropriate.
