Roosevelt Island Public Safety Chief Reports To Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright Virtual Town Hall - Coronavirus Strikes PSD, 2 Officers Die, 2 Others Test Positive And 17 Quarantined - RIOC Asks For Digital Thermometer Donations For Regular Temperature Checks

Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department  (PSD) Chief Kevin Brown participated in Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright's April 14 Public Safety Town Hall with NYPD 19th precinct Inspector Kathleen Walsh. According to Ms Seawright:

We held our April 14 virtual Townhall Tuesday on crime and public safety. We heard from our 19th Precinct’s Commanding Officer Inspector Kathleen Walsh and Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation’s Public Safety Department’s Chief Kevin Brown. Special guests Congresswoman Maloney and Senator Jose Serrano joined the program to bring State and Federal updates.

We paused for a moment of silence in response to the passing of beloved former PSD Chief and former NYPD Assistant Chief Jack McManus, heading the police department’s Operations Division on 9/11. He passed on Monday due to 9/11 related cancer. We also paid tribute to another great loss for the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department, Officer Corey Fischer, who passed from complications related to COVID-19. These two dedicated public servants made extraordinary contributions to their Roosevelt Island and New York City communities and will not soon be forgotten...

Chief Brown reported that 2 Public Safety Officers have tested positive for Coronavirus and 17 officers quarantined because they were in close relationship with the two officers. Both officers who tested positive were in good health and 1 returned to work and the other was expected to return to work soon.



Two Roosevelt Island Public Safety Officers have died of the Coronavirus -  Officer Corey Fisher and Detective Wayne Jones.

Chief Brown noted that PSD is still proving same level of safety and security for residents and Roosevelt Island is:

... probably the safest neighborhood in NYC...

Chief Brown dded that emergency medical responses and trips to hospitals are slightly less now than in prior months. I asked Chief Brown:

... Are there any additional precautions taken by PSD officers who may be entering apartment and in contact with people having Covid 19 on their way to the hospital? Do you have any approximation on how many of these EMS trips to hospital from Roosevelt Island are for Covid 19....

RIOC Public Information Officer Terrence McCauley replied:

EMS Calls

The average of EMS calls for the year 2020 is 76. Jan 89 calls

Feb 62 calls

March 78 calls

Our officers are advised that if they receive a call usually for flu-like or Cold Or Pneumonia symptoms they are not to enter the apartment until EMS arrives. If there is a medical emergency such as bleeding or difficulty breathing the officer will assess the situation before going into an apartment unprotected.

We do not have any information on patients who test positive for Coronavirus. That information comes from the hospitals and the Department of Health.

RIOC has requested donations of thermometers for the Public Safety Department.
Thermometers needed

PSD is looking for digital thermometers it can use to perform regular temperature checks for their officers. If you have an extra digital thermometer to spare, please drop it off at the PSD office at 550 Main Street or give them a call at 212-832-4545.