"Under a blazing bright November sun, Officer Andrew Tara re-arranged the gear for his patrol car on the asphalt outside of the department headquarters in Sunnyvale. Inside the car, evidence bags and a riot helmet is familiar to most police officers - not so much the other items he carries: a defibrillator and a full firefighting uniform with a respirator."
"With the department celebrat ing its 75th anniversary last year, many city leaders tout the success of the model as part of the reason Sunnyvale ranks among the safest cities in the Bay Area and beyond. And while the data is unclear on whether the combined department should take the credit for that success, the model has offered unique advantages that city leaders say could serve the city for years to come."
"At the time, Sunnyvale had a police department of only 16 people, a volunteer fire department and no EMT department. But in 1950 Sunnyvale was looking to begin a professional fire department, and then City Manager Kenneth Hunter thought that blending the police and fire department would be the best use of the city's money and result in a safer community."
Sunnyvale's Public Safety Department fully cross-trains all officers as police, firefighters, and EMTs, equipping patrol cars with firefighting gear and medical devices alongside evidence bags. The model allows personnel to rotate roles yearly, increasing flexibility and multi-role capability. City leaders link the combined department to Sunnyvale's high public-safety rankings, and celebrated the department's 75th anniversary. Data do not definitively attribute safety outcomes to the model, but officials cite operational advantages and long-term benefits. The consolidated department began in 1950 when a city manager merged small police and volunteer fire services to create a professional, budget-conscious public-safety organization.
Read at The Mercury News
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