News, Jan 7:
““Winter is Here (And It’s Not Playing Around)””
To the editor:
Santa Fe’s Code Blue strategy for saving the lives of people sleeping out of doors during the coldest nights is deficient in one important regard. Emergency responses to cold exposure are multipronged—which is only fitting—but the fact remains, as noted in your recent article, that many people are unable, unwilling or reluctant to enter shelters. Some of the best interventions on the street bring critical assistance to people where they are, and in a manner in which they can accept it. I have urged the city to follow the example of other municipalities in using city buses as mobile warming stations at multiple locations. It is more staff and time intensive to locate and transport people to shelters than it is to bring the life-saving warmth to them. I distribute space blankets during Code Blue nights in the Railyard and the Plaza, and I can personally attest to the fact that many people remain outside even in the bitter cold. There are people who, due to addictions, disabilities or by choice, will not avail themselves of area shelters. Some of these people do not want to abandon personal property or animals (although some shelters may allow dogs.) The existing strategy clearly misses some people outdoors, as evidenced by the deaths of two people on the street during the last Code Blue.
Warming buses will require security and staffing, but it is an emergency response that will save lives. The loss of lives and limbs due to hypothermia and frostbite can be prevented or mitigated by a more comprehensive approach. The city might also look at the example of cities that deploy mobile psychiatric teams to diagnose and medicate individuals who may present a danger to themself or others. (This is a clinical strategy that goes well beyond what is typically offered by Alternative Response Units). People who are experiencing psychiatric emergencies on the street, once treated, may be more likely to accept treatment, shelter and other forms of assistance on a voluntary basis. Incidentally, beyond the alleviation of human suffering, these approaches are frequently more cost-effective than, for example, involuntary confinement, which has been recently espoused by the governor.
Eric Radack
Santa Fe
The author is a public safety advocate, a former EMT and has worked in substance abuse treatment.