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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2015)
News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, October 21, 2015 A9 JUNIPER Continued from Page A1 The patient earlier this month and another in January both broke through the fence, through a ÀaZ in its design /indsay e[plained hoZ the facility is in the process of installing a neZ fence, and is currently in a laZsuit against the contractor Zho built the original fence In addition, Lindsay said, the facility has recently changed its protocol to not al- loZ a patient outside Zithout a staff member present Commissioner Chris Labhart said he is pleased Zith the facility¶s efforts ³CC6 is de¿nitely trying to solve the problem and they changed the policy,´ he said “I obviously believe the pub- lic is safe Zith these policy changes´ The Blue Mountain Ea- gle asked Lindsay and Rory Schilling, the facility admin- istrator at Juniper Ridge, to further describe Zhat is being done to improve the safety and security of the facility Eagle: What precautions/ protocols have changed since the escape? CCS: Residents can no longer be outside Zithout a staff member present Staff presence provides direct line- of-sight supervision Eagle: What are Juniper Ridge¶s plans moving forZard Zith the fence? CCS: Materials for a neZ fence Zill arrive at Juniper Ridge 1ovember 11 Our con- tractors have been noti¿ed of this This fence has been crafted speci¿cally for Juni- per Ridge Modi¿cations in the design of the fence have been adopted in consultation Zith designers, contractors and engineers that Zill mini- mi]e impact to the neZ fence should the ground contin- ue to shift Juniper Ridge is also e[ploring other Zays to increase community safety such as additional cameras, fence movement sensors, and possibly an additional fence surrounding the perimeter of Eagle photos/Kyle Spurr The fence at the Juniper Ridge Acute Care Facility is leaning and weakened in sections due to being built on non-compacted ground. Eagle photos/Kyle Spurr Kimberly Lindsay, executive director of Community Counseling Solutions, points to the fence at Juniper Ridge Acute Care Facility that is flawed in it’s design. Lindsay gave the Grant County Court a tour of the facility Monday. the property to compliment the security fence around the e[ercise yard Eagle: What has Juniper Ridge been doing prior to the escape to get the fence re- paired? CCS: 3roactively, Ze¶ve made alterations to the ex- isting fence, such as adding mesh screen around the top of the fence to hinder hand- holds and climbing We also identi¿ed some Zeaknesses that Zere ¿xed prior to the escape When an issue has been identi¿ed it has been ¿xed Resident and commu- nity safety has been our top priority $nd Ze¶ve actively pursued replacement of the existing fence Zith a secure fence since January This has been a challenge given our soil issues Once Ze identi- ¿ed a fence that provided the needed security, our engineer Zorked Zith the fence man- ufacturer and a local con- tractor to build “sleeves” or “pockets” that Zill house the posts and alloZ them to move Zith the shifting soil Zithout compromising the security or structural features of the fence This fence Zas sched- uled to arrive in $ugust and should already be in place +oZever, the manufacturer ran into a design ÀaZ that reTuired additional Zork be- fore installation could begin This delayed shipment of the fence Eagle: What alert system is noZ in place Zith police, etc so the public can be made aZare as soon as possible? CCS: Juniper Ridge management and staff reg- ularly assess the risks that our residents present to the local community and larger public We have a strong re- lationship Zith local, county, and state laZ enforcement agencies, Zho have proven to be extremely responsive to, and conscientious about, the community¶s safety We Sheriff Palmer, Search & Rescue, family, friends and neighbors: There are not enough words to express our appreciation. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. Sherry Deming & Mike Davidson are scheduling meetings Zith these agencies to insure timely response and coordi- nation betZeen all parties to provide for the safety of the community as Zell as our residents Should another escape occur, Ze Zill notify laZ en- forcement immediately and Zork Zith laZ enforcement to provide them the necessary information We Zill also no- tify the Blue Mountain Eagle and KJDY so that they can spread the Zord as Zell The safety of the community, our staff, and residents is para- mount We take this incident seriously and understand the community¶s concern Based on the research conducted, Ze fully expect that the neZ fence, coupled Zith other steps Ze are taking, should address identi¿ed issues and serve to restore community¶s trust in CCS SKEINS 516 S. Canyon Blvd. • 541-575-KNIT WILL BE CLOSING!! All in-store merchandise is discounted 20%! Stock up, add to your stash and prepare for future projects while you can! Tues. - Fri. 10 am - 5:30 pm • Sat. 10 - 4 pm 02887 02868