MORRIS COUNTY — Clad in Kevlar-lined or protective suits, law enforcement K-9 officers this week offered their arms and legs as bite-bait to learn advanced techniques from Morris County Sheriff’s Office K-9 experts on partnering with their dogs to apprehend dangerous criminals.

The week-long Morris County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Academy Decoy Seminar at the Morristown Armory provided intensive instruction and real-life scenarios to 15 K-9 handlers from around the state, including New Jersey State Police and officers from Deal, Mahwah, Jersey City, Hillsborough, and the Essex and Passaic County Sheriff’s Offices.

“The seminar was a vital opportunity for K-9 teams to learn from premier leaders how to deploy K-9s under specific scenarios to stop suspected violent offenders while keeping the community, themselves and their dogs safe,” Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon said.

The seminar was taught by Sheriff’s Office Detective Sgt. Aaron Tomasini, Detective Cpl.  Michael McMahon and a K-9 officer from the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office.

The seminar focused on training officers to be decoys skilled at drawing out behaviors in the dogs that hone their abilities to apprehend and hold suspects. The decoys, protected by their bulky padded suits, played the role of suspects trying to flee while other officers and handlers deployed the dogs with commands.  Handlers do not act as decoys to their own dogs.

Since decoy work is physically taxing on the officer, the seminar also provided instruction to officers on how to avoid injuries to themselves and the pursuing K-9.

“For the dog, apprehension is the reward. The decoy is a big toy they get to possess and obtain,” Tomasini said.

Tomasini said K-9s very rarely are commanded in Morris County to chase and bite suspects, and only after verbal warnings are first given to a suspect. But K-9 deployment is an important tool for use against non-compliant criminal suspects and all commands to the dogs to apprehend and hold come from their handlers who are trained in proper use of force, Tomasini said.

“We have a tool we may utilize for the safety of fellow officers, as well as the community, that’s able to stop the threat,” he said.

Morris County Sheriff’s Officers assigned to the K-9 section use Belgian Malinois, German and Dutch shepherds in their work that can involve responses to multiple calls in one day. The section is a shared service, available to all municipalities and law enforcement agencies in the county.

In 2018, the K-9 section logged 854 calls and sweeps. The statistics include 518 callouts for narcotics, bomb, arson, patrol, and search and rescue endeavors, and 336 protective sweeps of Morris County facilities.

The dogs are so highly trained they hear and obey only their handler’s voice commands while working, with the ability to block out noises or words that may be uttered by a fleeing suspect, Tomasini said.

MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Park Commission, which manages 20,197 acres consisting of 38 facilities, 244.3 miles of trails, including 73.3 miles of Patriots’ Path trail, recently announced a No Smoking Policy to conform with the New Jersey State’s Chapter Law 64 of prohibition of smoking at public parks and beaches.

The smoking prohibition policy of the Morris County Park Commission bans smoking in any park, forest, beach, arboreta, historic site, recreation facility, arena, reservation, marina, trail, greenway, education facility under the park Commission’s stewardship responsibility.

This policy, as adopted by the Commissioners, will provide a smoke-free environment for everyone, including children, to enjoy their experience at these public facilities. The policy will be strictly enforced and applies to both the public, as well as employees. Any person not compliant with posted smoking rules shall first be given verbal notification; if upon such notification the person fails to comply with the posted rules, the Supervisor of the area may deny services.

Smoking is defined as the burning of, inhaling from, exhaling the smoke from, or the possession of lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe or any other mater of substance which contains tobacco or any other matter that can be smoked, or the inhaling or exhaling of smoke or vapor from an electronic smoking device.

Further, the policy states that electronic smoking device means an electronic device that can be used to deliver nicotine or other substances to the person inhaling from the device, including, but not limited to, an electronic cigarette, cigar, cigarillo, or pipe.

The Park Commission has determined that, Berkshire Valley Golf Course, Flanders Valley Golf Course, Pinch Brook Golf Course, and Sunset Valley Golf Course are the only park facilities where smoking is to be permitted by the public.  Smoking is only permitted on turf play areas, excluding designated practice area, including driving ranges.

PARSIPPANY — February 8, 2019, will mark the fifth anniversary of Night to Shine, the unforgettable prom night experience, centered on God’s love, for people with special needs, ages 14 and older, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. In just four years, Night to Shine has truly become a worldwide movement and next month, more than 200,000 volunteers in more than 650 host churches will serve more than 100,000 honored guests simultaneously on one night, Friday, February 8, across all 50 states, 38 international locations in 23 countries and 35 different denominations! Once again this year, Liquid Church, 299 Webro Road will be a host church.

Night to Shine, Sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation will be held at Liquid Church

“We have been so blown away by how God has continued to grow Night to Shine. I never imagined that Night to Shine would have grown this way when we started in 2014, but it is definitely a reminder that we serve a limitless God,” shared Tim Tebow, Founder and Chairman of the Tim Tebow Foundation. “As I reflect on how far Night to Shine has come, I am just so thankful for every host church, volunteer, sponsor and donor who has answered the call over the past five years.”

Every guest of Night to Shine enters this complimentary event on a red carpet complete with a warm welcome from a friendly crowd and paparazzi. Once inside, guests receive the royal treatment, including hair and makeup stations, shoe shining areas, limousine rides, corsages and boutonnieres, a catered dinner, karaoke, prom favors for each honored guest and, of course, a dance floor… all leading up to the moment when each guest is crowned king or queen of the prom.

“The vision for Night to Shine is to love people with special needs, it’s to bring the church together and to ultimately change the world through the eyes of people with special needs. February 8th will truly be a night so many people will never forget as each guest is told how much they’re worth and that God loves them and that God has an amazing plan for their life,” shared Tim Tebow.

As sponsor of Night to Shine, the Tim Tebow Foundation provides each host church with the official 2019 Night to Shine Planning Manual, the official Night to Shine Prom Kit and personalized guidance and support from a Tim Tebow Foundation staff member. The foundation also is providing financial support to hundreds of churches needing assistance in hosting the event, and this year alone will contribute over $2 million in financial grants to ensure this night reaches as many people with special needs as possible. As Night to Shine’s official Global Corporate Partner, American Residential Services and its network of providers is a major factor in ensuring the foundation is able to continue sustaining the incredible growth of Night to Shine every year.

To be a part of this worldwide event click here to find out where you can attend your local event, volunteer to celebrate people with special needs or donate to help make it all possible.

MORRIS COUNTY — Automated external defibrillators will be required at all college athletic facilities under Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce’s legislation advanced today by the Higher Education Committee.

“Defibrillators save lives,” said DeCroce. “If a person suffers a sudden cardiac attack the chance of survival increases exponentially when an automated shock is administered. Automatic defibrillators are easy for any untrained bystander to use. By following the simple instructions, they can save a life.”

Sudden cardiac attacks are rare in young athletes, but they are often fatal. When an automatic defibrillator is used, the survival rate for student athletes is 64 percent, and as high as 90 percent when aid is rendered within the first minute.

DeCroce’s bill (A1368) requires two staff members trained in CPR and the use of automatic defibrillators in athletic facilities or student centers during operating hours.

“A college student who survives a brush with death due to a previously undiagnosed heart problem can go on to live a long, productive life with the appropriate medical care,” said DeCroce. “A defibrillator on the wall in a college gym can be the key to the future for any of the young people competing on the floor, or watching in the stands.”

For every minute that passes without defibrillation after a sudden cardiac attack, the chance of survival decreases by 10 percent.

State law requires automatic defibrillators at state buildings and K-12 schools, health clubs, nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

MORRIS COUNTY — PBA 298 Morris County Sheriff’s Office: Bureau of Corrections and Morris County Sheriff’s Office PBA Local 151 donated $3,000 to the Carol W. Julius A. Rippel Breast Center at Morristown Memorial Center. The donation was made in memory of Lisa Di Palma Bonfiglio, who passed away in 2009.

MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Correctional Facility in Morris Township has been accredited for a sixth consecutive time, mastering standards set by the American Correctional Association for jails on nutrition, security, cleanliness and quality of life.

A three-member team of auditors for the American Correctional Association, a private, non-profit corrections accrediting group, toured, examined records, and talked to staff and inmates at the 18-year-old county jail over a three-day period in May.

The tour culminated last weekend with reaccreditation of the jail during an ACA conference in New Orleans. Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, jail Warden Christopher Klein and other top correctional officers answered final questions posed by an ACA panel before learning the jail was re-accredited for a three-year period.

They were told the jail had the rare distinction of being one of the few county jails in the nation that achieved 100 percent compliance scores on 383 standards evaluated by the auditors. Nationwide, fewer than 150 county jails out of more than 3,000 are accredited.

“I am truly proud of this accomplishment by the correctional facility’s sworn and civilian staff, the professionalism they show every day, and the humane environment they maintain for inmates,” said Gannon.

Warden Christopher Klein said the reaccreditation is a testament to the commitment of the facility’s staff that includes 165 sworn officers and 19 medical personnel.

“It’s always good to have outsiders come in and reaffirm the good work our staff does. The standards by the American Correctional Association are above and beyond state standards,” he said.

The jail was built for a population of 524 inmates and housed an average of 233 individuals at the time of the audit. Inmates ranged from age 18 to 75.

The audit’s findings established:

• The jail has a well-integrated and well-designed security system that includes staff control of all entrances, exits and doors.
• The facility provides a comfortable, clean environment to live and work, with adequate shower units.
• Sanitation is given “a very high priority,” according to the audit. Inmates, under staff supervision, clean the facility and cleaning supplies are carefully distributed and inventoried after use.
• The health services unit provides 24-hour medical services and is staffed with people “who appeared to care a great deal about the welfare of the inmates and the work they do,” the report stated.
• Social service specialists complete biopsychosocial intakes on all incoming inmates and provide assistance in adjustment to confinement and work with inmates on discharge planning.
• Inmates can participate in observing the religion of their choice. The jail has a full-time chaplain, who coordinates access to other clergy and volunteers to visit inmates upon request.
• The jail has had no consent decrees, class action lawsuits or adverse judgments in at least three years, the last time accreditation was granted.