With gas prices continuing to soar across the nation, many police and fire departments, and even ambulance services, are choosing to alter how they handle emergency responses.
As of Friday morning, according to AAA, gas prices across the nation have hit a record-high average of $4.99, nearly $2 higher than one year ago.
AAA showed Thursday that gas prices in Michigan had reached $5.214. While other states, like California, have seen prices reach higher than $7 per gallon.
The surge in fuel prices has led some police departments to change how they respond to every 911 call.
In Michigan, the Isabella County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook announcing changes in their routine due to exhausting “what funds were budgeted for fuel with several months to go before the budget reset.”
“I have instructed the deputies to attempt to manage whatever calls are acceptable over the phone,” Isabella County Sheriff Michael Main said in the post. “This would be non-in-progress calls, non-life-threatening calls, calls that do not require evidence collection or documentation…Any call that is in progress with active suspects will involve a response by the deputies. I want to assure the community that safety is our primary goal, and we will continue to respond to those types of calls.”
According to Michigan’s WGHN, the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office made similar changes last month in response to rising gas prices.
“Instead of having a deputy drive 20 miles to go take that complaint, the complaint may have to wait 10 to 15 minutes or so to have the closer car take the complaint, rather than have someone else driving to take the complaint,” Lieutenant Bretton Ensfield told the radio station.
The continued rise in gas prices across the nation is beginning to impact the function of safety and response by those tasked to keep Americans safe.
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