They deal with fire, medical crises — now, human trafficking
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, May 22, 2018
MUKILTEO — Firefighters are often called upon to treat cardiac arrests, strokes and other medical emergencies in Mukilteo. Now, they’re learning how they could save lives in another way.
This month the fire department required its crews to undergo training to identify signs of human trafficking.
“We wanted our people to have a basic knowledge of what to look for, when people are detained against their will,” medical services officer Larry Hadland said.
Hadland found out about the training through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. An online session takes a matter of minutes: a 25-question test, a study session and the same test again, to see how much the students have learned.
In a decades-long career in the fire service, Hadland has been on calls where he didn’t recognize the telltale signs until later. Sometimes it’s a furtive man or woman who won’t leave a patient’s side. Or it’s someone acting defensive or evasive with paramedics. Or it’s many young women crammed into a small house or apartment. Or it’s a mix of signals that don’t seem right.
If they see signs of abuse, firefighters are encouraged to call police.
Mukilteo’s city limits stop just short of Highway 99, a corridor to Aurora Avenue that has generated headlines like, “Why Is There So Much Prostitution On Aurora Avenue In Seattle?”
First responders are in a unique position to uncover human trafficking: They enter homes and private, personal spaces in emergencies. Sometimes it’s impossible to avoid calling for help.
“If they’re sick, or their house is on fire, we’re going to show up,” Hadland said.
This month, Providence Regional Medical Center Everett hosted forums on human trafficking for local government, police and health care workers.
The Polaris Project estimates in the U.S., victims of sex trafficking and forced labor number in the hundreds of thousands, though there’s no official estimate. The nonprofit has a human trafficking hotline, 1-888-373-7888. About 40,000 cases have been reported to the line in the past 10 years.
Caleb Hutton: 425-339-3454; chutton@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @snocaleb.
