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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2012)
4 street roots July 6, 2012 Designated drivers A n evening on the beat o f Portland's pick-up crew for over-imbibers BY ALEX ZIELINSKI overstuffed backpack outside of a shuttered food cart. The pair recognizes him by t’s 9 p.m. on a gray, drizzly June name, noting that he’s a regular visitor. evening and a pair of navy blue.-clad How often? They’re not sure. “It’s kind of EMTs are searching the streets of like eating a hamburger,” Monagle says. Northwest Portland for the hopelessly “You know you eat them a lot, but you don’t inebriated. Paul Monagle and Ashley Nikoo, remember how often.” both veterans in this mission, slow down as Pulling over, the pair swiftly hops out of they pass darkened alleyways and busy the vehicle and gently carries the older, corners in their white van, peering through bearded man to the back of the van before groups of Friday night revelers for the nestling his pack behind his back. He softly unseen, the stepped-over. Cruising down mumbles, tightening his long black coat West Burnside, Nikoo’s phone rings, around his thin body, before settling into breaking the windshield-wiper-backed the fetal position and quickly dozing off. It tranquility of the ride. “Fifth and Oak,” says seems like an old routine. Drawing minimal Nikoo. “We’ve got a pick-up.” attention — one of CHIERS’ top goals — the Thus begins the pair’s evening shift as a van quietly continues on into the night. shuttle van to sobriety. Nikoo and Monagle While CHIERS has a small fleet of white work for Central City Concern’s Hooper vans, it only has one out on patrol at a Inebriate Emergency Response Service, or time, a system the program aims to change. CHIERS, a system that picks up intoxicated Monagle and Nikoo’s vehicle is one of “the locals and brings them in to the program’s newer ones,” fully equipped with 22-year-old Sobering Station on East emergency medical supplies, a jump seat Burnside. Each evening, a duo of CHIERS behind the driver’s seat for observing employees roam the city — either in medical students (or curious reporters) and response to a call or on patrol — picking up the police scanner computer. The second an average of eight half of the van is people a night. But separated from the they’re not alone. front by thick black The Portland Police bars, and holds a Bureau also much simpler set-up: contributes to the The man softly mumbles^ hard, waterproof Sobering Station, flooring and siding tighte ning his long black dropping off and a small drain coat around his th in body inebriated people used to dispose of before settling in to the fetal without a record- unwelcome fluids. marring write-up position and giilcW y dozing That’s it. throughout the day. Most of the people oil« It seems lik e an old In total, the two that call in to routine« »raw ing m in im a l teams bring in CHIERS are business attention one ol CHI1B115 nearly 9,000 people owners, hospital staff a year. top goals — the van quietly or security workers, However, these like PPI. But continues on Into the night« numbers could soon occasionally, change. Starting July concerned passersby 1, CHIERS will lose dial in. “We really its morning and depend on the early afternoon shift public’s help,” says — which kicks off at Monagle, as he 7 a.m. — due to city budget cuts. This is a steers the van back to the Sobering tentative fix. The city council voted to Station. “It’s similar to ‘If a tree falls in a reevaluate the new schedule in six months, forest....’ If someone is passed out drunk thanks to some last-minute pull by on the street and no one reports them, will Commissioner Amanda Fritz. But it could we be able to help them? Probably not.” make a significant change in the way As the van backs into the headquarters’ CHIERS runs. Fortunately, the Sobering parking lot, Sobering Station employees Station will remain open during these rush out to help. They are prepared for hours, accepting drop offs from the police. anything: A belligerent, violent admittee or, But CHIERS’ goal is to bring in the like this particular pick-up, a passed-out majority of the pick-ups, driving taxpayer guest. Earlier in the evening, the station dollars away from the police-dependant admitted a loud, confused woman, service. struggling with the attendees, believing she “It certainly is the least harmful thing we was going to jail. After the staff removed could do,” says CHIERS manager Sarah her valuable items — in an effort to keep Goforth. “We have the police supporting us visitors safe along with their possessions — to stay running as often as possible and the she begrudgingly stumbled into the public relies on us. Realistically, I don’t woman’s sobering room, spitting know what kind of change we’ll see. But we obscenities. But in this instance, Monagle have the community’s support.” simply sets the older man into a wheelchair One of the top sources that frequents and pushes him inside. CHIERS’ response line, Portland Patrol Inc. The Sobering Station is surprisingly (PPI), called in tonight’s downtown pick-up. peaceful. The lights are dimmed to a As Monagle scans Fifth Avenue from the comforting glow and a soft snoring from driver’s seat, Nikoo looks up from the recovering admittees creates an almost passenger seat’s police scanner monitor. dreamlike atmosphere. Attendants — both “There he is,” she says, pointing at a EMTs and recovered addicts — speak crumpled figure spooning a large, quietly to one another, flipping through old S T A F F W R IT E R I P H O T O B Y K R IS T IN A W R IG H T newspapers and sipping tea, seeming equally relaxed by their work environment. The small station houses three group rooms — one for women, two for men — sparsely furnished with a few tables on the cement floor. The station also has four single cells for visitors who are at risk of hurting themselves or others. Legally, the patrons can stay up to 48 hours, but usually they leave between four or eight — whenever their blood alcohol level is back to a sober state. “Can I leave yet?” asks a tired-looking man in his 50s, peering through the bars separating his group room and the attendant’s desk. “I’m cold. And I think I’m all better now.” The attendant on call sighs. “You know you’ve only been here a couple hours, man. I have the heater on, go on and stand by it. Don’t you know it’s raining out?” In response, the man starts reciting his Miranda Rights in a slurred stream, despite the attendant’s interruption that “we’re not the police.” “Just relax for a little bit more,” the attendant urges. The man goes back to the table, resting his head on his palm. In every interaction with an intoxicated visitor, the on-call attendants stay cool- headed and calm, despite the inevitable instability of the situation. “We may come off as cold to some, or emotionless,” says Monagle. “But we see a lot of drama. We’ve learned it’s the best way to counter that energy.” After wheeling the older man into a group room, an attendant offers him a cup of minestrone soup and crackers, a supply always on hand. The man ignores the offer and curls up in a familiar corner underneath a heater. CHIERS doesn’t just let these return patrons go unnoticed. When they start recognizing faces, staff steps in to offer assistance and recommend city-funded detox help. “I think a lot of people see this as hitting bottom,” says CHIERS manager Goforth. “They think, ‘I am here sleeping in a cement room with a bunch of alcoholics and this is my life,’ and they are ready to turn it around. So we’re here to help.” For some, it’s a lifesaver. For others, it’s a quick fix. “We see success stories, but we also see cycles of recovered alcoholics coming back,” says Amanda Guevara, the station’s night manager. “It’s tough.” Monagle and Nikoo head back to the van to watch the scanner for calls. It’s a slow night. Both medical students, the pair have a hard time explaining why they spend their time at CHIERS as opposed to an emergency room or other EMT service. “There’s a point in EMT work where all of your calls involve alcohol. I thought, why not focus on the main source? These are people who need real help, not just a drunk frat boy on a Saturday night,” say Monagle. Nikoo sips a Starbucks coffee while staring at the scanner, eyes unmoving. Calls come in for burglaries, fires. No dice. Nikoo usually works nights, but knows the summer cutbacks could impact her work. ‘Cutting the morning shift will definitely be an experiment,” she says. “It probably won’t make much of a difference, since we pick up so many more people at night, but who knows.” Inside, an attendant yawns, filling out paperwork for the recent intake. In the far back room, a soft plop followed by a moan breaks the calm ambience. Without a second thought, the attendant pulls a mop and bucket from a storage closet and heads to the back room, yelling out “You OK buddy? as she opens the door. Once irritated by being stuck in the holding room, the man is now humbled with embarrassment and gratitude as these calm strangers care for his well-being, rather than arcing around his hunched figure on the sidewalk. “Water, please,” he gasps. I m so sorry, I’m so sorry. Thank you. So much.”
