As the Chief of Police for the Town of Orange, I have been extremely busy during the coronavirus pandemic, putting in very long hours. My role is to support our officers who are on the front lines, ensuring that they have the proper equipment and policies in place to do their jobs safely. Here in Orange, we are designated as the medical first responder for our community, working very closely with AMR to provide emergency medical services for the Town. We have had to make many adjustments and have put many new protocols into place in preparation for, and as a result of, the pandemic. The protocols that we have put in place have been both internal and external and are meant to help keep our officers and the public safe. We have had to be very flexible, changing and adjusting protocols as necessary. This has been very odd in that many of our protocols are counterintuitive to how we normally operate as a department that is very committed to community policing.
I serve on the COVID-19 subcommittee of our regular Emergency Management Advisory Council, and prior to the pandemic we had already started to plan for what was coming. We began our meetings early on; bringing police, public health, EMS, fire, education, human services, religious leadership and emergency management all to the table to discuss strategy. We continue to discuss how to best serve the public as we continue to monitor the effects of the pandemic on the community. There has been great communication with Yale New Haven Hospital on best practices and protocols for emergency medical services. The leadership, service and sacrifice of the people in our medical community who are on the front lines of this emergency has been incredible and inspires us to continue to rise to whatever challenges we face. We are deeply grateful for their talent and dedication. I also collaborate daily with the other police chiefs in the region and in the State, whose collective wisdom and experience has been very helpful.
Internally there has been extensive communication with the members of the Orange Police Department to hear and address their concerns and questions, to cultivate their thoughts and ideas, and to keep them as informed as possible. The men and women of the Department continue to do an outstanding job, and the protocols that we have put in place have helped to keep them healthy and safe while they serve our community. As I write this, fortunately none of our officers have gotten ill. I am both proud and blessed to be able to work with such fine individuals. We continue to monitor the state of the Town from many different aspects and are ready to face our challenges in a safe and efficient manner.
I am grateful that my training, education and years of experience have all helped to prepare me to respond to the multitude of issues that have arisen during this unprecedented situation. I keep in mind the four Dominican Pillars as I carry out my responsibilities, with prayer and contemplation being incorporated into long walks in the fresh air when I’m able to find down time. My thoughts are always with the members of the Albertus community, and I pray that you are all staying healthy and safe.
Robert J. Gagne ’12 M.A. is the Chief of Police for the Town of Orange, a member of the Alumni Advisory Board and a part-time faculty member.