Drug Drop Off • Illegal Dumpsites • Marijuana Identification
Dispatch
The Communication Center receives emergency and non-emergency calls from the public. They receive anywhere from 50-150 calls a day. Dispatchers are responsible for dispatching the proper law enforcement or emergency agency. The dispatchers are in constant contact with the deputies and are the center of communication for the office.
The Communication Center also dispatches for 17 Volunteer Fire Departments, 2 Police Departments, Adult Probation and Parole, Marietta Municipal Court Probation, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
ENHANCED 9-1-1 EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM
Washington County’s 63,000 residents are served by a state-of-the-art Enhanced 9-1-1 system. Calls to 9-1-1 from landline telephones are automatically routed to the Public Service Answering Point (PSAP) serving that particular address. Three PSAPs cover Washington County: Belpre Police, Marietta Police, and Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office dispatches most of the county’s volunteer fire departments and emergency medical squads, as well as Village Police, Ohio Division of Wildlife officers and other services.
The Enhanced 9-1-1 system is funded by a voter-approved 50-cent per month telephone surcharge. These funds may be used only for purchase and maintenance of 9-1-1 equipment and software. By state law, telephone service providers are allowed to charge fees of 12 to 25 cents per month to recover their 9-1-1 operational expenses.
WIRELESS 9-1-1
Washington County provides Wireless E9-1-1 service, making it possible to locate 9-1-1 callers who are calling from a cell phone. When you call 9-1-1 from a GPS-equipped cell phone, your location is shown on the county 9-1-1 mapping system, allowing for accurate dispatching of emergency responders to your location. (One wireless service provider, AT&T, utilizes signal triangulation technology instead of GPS. Triangulation is less accurate in rural locations.)
IMPORTANT: a cell phone call to 9-1-1 may route to a different city or county than where you are located. These devices we know as cell phones are actually two-way radios. No technology exists to send your cell phone’s signal anywhere but to the nearest tower. For example, if you call 911 on a cell phone in Washington County, Ohio, the signal may
hit a tower in Wood County, West Virginia, or vice versa. If this happens to you, stay on the phone! Describe your location to dispatchers to assist them in getting help to you.
Wireless E9-1-1 service is funded by Ohio’s 28-cent per month cell phone fee – one of the lowest such fees in the USA.
VOICE OVER INTERNET (VOIP) 9-1-1
VOIP is a rapidly emerging technology employing cable TV lines for telephone service. Washington County’s primary cable operators, Suddenlink and TimeWarner, work closely with 9-1-1 to provide accurate customer locations. However, if you sign up online with an independent VOIP service such as Vonage, Skype or Magic Jack, it is your responsibility to make sure your physical address is accurate and updated at your service provider’s website. The routing of VOIP 9-1-1 calls from independent VOIP services has not yet reached the high accuracy rate of traditional home phone service.
NEVER HANG UP ON A 9-1-1 CALL UNTIL TOLD TO DO SO BY THE DISPATCHER.
For more information, contact Lt. Hays (9-1-1 Coordinator).
Crisis Negotiation Team
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office has a Crisis Negotiation Team trained to deal with hostage and crisis situations. This includes people threatening to commit suicide, and/or distraught individuals threatening to kill or harm another person.
The team members study different crisis scenario situations, psychological profiling, interpersonal skills, and communication techniques to assist them during their negotiations.
The goal is always to resolve these situations without using violence or force. During the last seven years, the team has responded to several such situations and all have been resolved peacefully.
One team member makes the initial contact with the person in crisis and continues to negotiate with him or her while the other team members gather background information on the person for use by the negotiator.
Detective Bureau
The Detective Bureau is available to respond to any type of felony crime committed in Washington County.
The Detective Bureau consists of seven trained detectives. Each Detective carries a full caseload of investigative work and each is trained to serve on the Crime Scene Unit.
The Detectives have a combined knowledge of approximately 90 years of investigative experience. Each Detective has received numerous hours of crime scene and forensic training.
The Detective Bureau has worked over 500 crime scenes, and over 1000 hours on crime scene investigations.
The Detective Bureau is unique in that each Detective has brought to the unit a vast array of experience to include interviews and interrogations, interviews of children, hostage negotiations, forensics, photography, and computer forensics.
Road Patrol
Deputy Sheriffs on road patrol perform an innumerable amount of tasks, responding to calls at all hours of the day and night and all times of year. Once a call for service is received, Deputies assigned to the road patrol division are the first contact citizens have with the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies are responsible for a wide variety of duties which enable them to provide the best possible service for the citizens of Washington County. As first responders, Deputies deal with situations as dangerous and stressful as an armed robbery or as common as a property dispute between neighbors.
Other responsibilities for Deputies include conducting criminal investigations, serving warrants and subpoenas, routine checks on the security of businesses and residences, extra patrols in known problem areas and establishing a positive rapport with the residents.
Whenever called upon, road patrol Deputies strive to respond quickly, professionally, and intend on meeting or exceeding the public’s expectations.
Special Response Team
The Special Response Team (SRT) is used when a set of circumstances arises, the end of which could ultimately result in the injury of or the death of civilians or officers.
The SRT is a highly trained, highly mobile, well-equipped team of Deputy Sheriffs employed in situations which require specialized skills, equipment, and training.
The Sheriff must personally approve the use of the SRT. Members of the SRT train in every position within their squad undergoing regular and strenuous training. SRT members recognize the fact that lives are on the line every time they are called out. These Deputies assume this huge responsibility and it is a task the team takes very seriously.
The key to an effective Special Response Team is the unity of its members and teamwork applied toward a common goal. Their goal is to always resolve a situation without injury to themselves, the public, or the suspects.
SRT Missions include:
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Service of high risk warrants
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Barricaded subjects
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Hostage rescue
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Extraordinary/Rapid deployment
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VIP/Dignitary or high profile prisoner protection details
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Armed suicidal subjects
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Crowd control
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Officer and citizen rescue
“In the realm of high risk operations, no one stands alone, for it is the team which increases the probability of success in imminent danger. Though the team is the sum of its individual parts, individual acts of valor are wasted through uncoordinated execution.”
Dog Warden
The owning of dogs is regulated by Ohio Law for the protection of citizens, and the well-being of the dogs. The office of the Washington County Dog Warden’s is a division of the Washington County Sheriff’s office and is governed by Chapter 955 of the Ohio Revised Code.
The Dog Warden’s responsibilities include picking up stray dogs, ensuring all dogs in the county are licensed, and enforcing the laws that govern these responsibilities. The Dog Warden is also to investigate livestock kills by coyotes and processing these claims accordingly.
All other services are courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office including picking up owned dogs, investigating complaints between neighbors over dogs, and cruelty/neglect complaints.
NOTICE: Microchips do not replace license tags.
LEASH AND LICENSE LAWS
Reserve Deputies
Effective January 1, 2013, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) established a Reserve Officer Unit under the supervision of a Reserve Officer Commander to be appointed by the Sheriff. The Reserve Officer Unit is a voluntary non-compensated position and serves at the pleasure of the Sheriff. All Reserve Officers must complete an application and pass a background investigation. The Reserve Officer Unit is divided into three levels as follows:
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Level I Reserve (Class 1 Special Deputy)
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A Level I Reserve Deputy is available to work in virtually all aspects of the office and may participate in law enforcement assignments such as patrol, community relations, and investigations. They are permitted to work alone after being certified by the Sheriff. Level I Reserve Deputies have peace officer status while on or off duty for the duration of their commission with the WCSO.
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Level II Reserve
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Individuals not OPOTA certified are considered Level II Reserve Deputies and are required to work under the immediate supervision of a Full Time Deputy or an OPOTA Certified Reserve Officer. This OPOTA Certified Officer must have completed the WCSO Field Training Officer Course for Reserve Officers. Level II Reserve Officers are not permitted to carry a weapon on duty even if they possess a valid CCW permit.
Click here for a complete list of reserve deputies.
Click here for a complete list of chaplains.
K9
Security and Transportation
Security and Transportation is located at the Civil Division. Their main priority is keeping Courthouse employees and the public safe while inside the Courthouse. S&T deputies patrol the Courthouse daily while checking in with each office located in the Courthouse.
S&T is responsible for transporting inmates to and from the Washington County Jail and the Washington County Courthouse. Inmates have hearings in the Court of Common Pleas, can be remanded to custody, turned themselves in, or the Adult Parole Authority sometimes needs transportation of an individual to the jail. In addition to transporting, S&T will pick up an individual from anywhere in the county if that individual is a wanted person from Washington County, Ohio and have signed a waiver of extradition to come back to the state of Ohio.
Sheriff’s Sales of homes and properties are conducted by S&T. They serve subpoenas for a court appearance, summonses, and custody paperwork. Another responsibility of S&T is the Kidprint ID’s.
Washington County
Emergency Management Agency
WASHINGTON COUNTY HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN
The Washington County EMA serves its citizens and its communities through effective planning for natural and man-made disasters. The goal is to save lives, protect property, and the environment through coordination of an integrated emergency management system with all emergency response organizations, support services, and volunteers.
The EMA strives to accomplish this through a continuing program of outreach, coordination, planning, training, and exercising in both the public and private sectors for all hazards and for all four phases of emergency management:
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Mitigation
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Preparedness
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Response
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Recovery
To make a public record request, follow this link.
INDUSTRIAL ALERT SYSTEM
Since 1992, in a joint effort, Kraton and Chemours have provided the Industrial Alert System. If there would be an emergency at either facility affecting the surrounding communities, sirens in 11 strategic locations would sound along the Ohio River from Belpre to Little Hocking on the Ohio side and from Lubeck to Washington Bottom on the West Virginia side.
Anyone hearing the sirens should tune into 95.1 WXIL on their radio for safety instructions. The sirens are tested at noon the first Saturday of every month; 95.1 WXIL will advise if the activation of the sirens was a test or an actual emergency.
LOCAL EMERGENCY PLANNING COMMITTEE
The Washington County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is a County Board established under Ohio Revised Code 3750. The functions of the LEPC office are coordinated by the Washington County Emergency Management Agency. With the cooperation of local industries, each hazardous material that poses a possible threat to the county is identified and the maximum hazard is analyzed.
Hazardous materials emergency preparedness planning includes identification of all possible chemical hazards at the various facilities and the transport of chemicals by road, rail, river, or pipeline within the county. The capabilities and limitations of various emergency response agencies and organization in personnel, equipment, and training are also evaluated. Responsibilities and procedures for agencies and organizations were developed and written into the Washington County Hazardous Materials Plan. The plan is reviewed yearly.
The goal of LEPC is to save lives and protect property by developing programs and procedures for emergency operation capabilities that mitigate the effects of, prepare for, respond to, and recover from planned or unplanned chemical releases.
LEPC meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 2:00 pm in the Emergency Operations Center, 204 Davis Avenue, Suite C, Marietta, OH 45750.
Should you wish to join LEPC, the LEPC Member’s Handbook provides the responsibilities and duties of each LEPC member.
LOCAL WEATHER & WATER LEVELS
Severe weather can occur at any time, whether a winter storm, thunderstorm, ice storm, or tornado. Monitor WCSO social media for the latest in weather updates for Washington County.
It is not only important to understand the terminology used to warn of impending storms, but also to prepare an emergency plan for your home or business before an incident occurs. During a severe weather storm, it is very likely that power outages will occur.
To prevent loss of communication, every home should have a weather alert radio with Specified Area Message Encoding (SAME) technology and a battery backup.
For more information on preparing for natural disasters, visit ready.gov.
FIRE SERVICE
Washington County has 18 fire departments, 17 volunteer departments, one full-time department, and two EMS-only departments. The fire departments throughout Washington County provide basic firefighting duties, auto extrication, EMS transport services, EMS first responder services, and public education. 14 fire and two EMS-only departments provide EMS transport services and four departments provide EMS first response services.
All Washington County fire departments are dispatched on fire and EMS calls by WCSO. The City of Belpre PSAP dispatches for the City of Belpre and the Barlow Township Fire Department. The City of Marietta PSAP dispatches for the City of Marietta Fire Department. When the 911 call is received, the dispatcher tones the appropriate department to respond to the call. The City of Marietta Fire Department provides hazardous material response to the county.
DISASTER RESPONSE
DISASTER RECOVERY
After a disaster, there is something every person in the county can do to assist with the recovery effort. We are a community that pulls together to help each other before, during, and after a disaster occurs.
To become actively involved in helping with recovery efforts, please register in advance with the local fire departments, law enforcement agencies, American Red Cross, and EMA to let them know how you are willing and able to assist. Registering and establishing your credentials in advance helps the agencies know where you can best assist with recovery efforts.
To learn more about community involvement in disaster recovery, visit FEMA.gov.
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
Disaster preparedness is everyone’s responsibility. All sectors of society – business and industry, civic and volunteer groups, industry associations and neighborhood associations, as well as every individual citizen and every family – should plan ahead for disaster.
During the first few hours or days following a disaster, essential services may not be available. People must be ready to act on their own.
DISASTER MITIGATION
There are many ways a homeowner can protect their homes from natural disasters. The following list of proactive measures can help protect your home from being affected by the natural disaster.
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Install Sewer Backflow Valves
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Raise or Flood Proof HVAC Equipment
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Anchor Outside Propane Tanks
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Anchor Outside Heating Oil Tanks
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Raise Electrical System Components
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Add Waterproof Veneer to Exterior Walls
COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM
A Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a group that is organized and receives special training that enhances their ability to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against a major emergency or disaster situation. CERT is organized under the Washington County Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP).
Following a major disaster, first responders who provide fire and medical services will not be able to meet the demand for services. When a major emergency overwhelms normally available resources, response delays of hours or even days may occur. Someone with “basic skills training” should be able to immediately assist those in distress. CERT recognizes that a well-prepared community is a vital resource.
Factors such as number of victims, communications failures, and blocked roads will prevent people from accessing emergency services they have come to expect at a moment’s notice through 911. People will have to rely on each other for help in order to meet their immediate life saving and life sustaining needs. One also expects that under these kinds of conditions, family members, fellow employees, and neighbors will spontaneously try to help each other.
Organizations can schedule a course by calling the Washington County Emergency Management Agency at (740) 373-5613.
During the course, citizens will be trained by CERT instructors to learn disaster preparedness, fire suppression, first aid, medical operations, light search and rescue, psychology, and team organization.