Innovative Approach to Problem Solving
Public Safety Department
Village of Palmyra
What if you called 911 and nobody came? As in many communities, this was a very real concern for the citizens of Palmyra. The village’s solution was to create a Public Safety Department employing full-time public safety officers cross-trained in law enforcement, firefighting and EMS to supplement Fire Rescue paid on call responders. The department implemented strategies that enhanced teamwork and improved employee retention, leading to greatly improved outcomes within budgetary limitations – and providing a framework that could be emulated by other rural communities.