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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday July 19, 2006 - 7 Police boat fast way to transfer organs By Staff Sgt. Larry R. Masson SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER What do you do when you've got the chance to save a life through organ donation, but the life-saving organs are in Halton or Hamilton, the potential recipient is in another city, and the highways are bumper to bumper? You call in the Hamilton/Halton Regional Police Marine Unit, the only police marine unit in Canada to have established a partnership with an organ donation agency. That's exactly what happened twice recently and the result: at least four lives saved. In the most recent of these events, two officers from the unit drove from the marine station to an area hospital where they picked up two surgeons who had recovered, and were now transporting, the organs to waiting recipients. Within minutes the police vehicle was back at the marine station, and the police boat was on its way to meet up with the Toronto Police Service Marine Unit for a boatto-boat transfer on the water. The Toronto vessel then brought the physicians and their precious cargo to an ambulance waiting at the Toronto Police marine unit base station. The entire trip took just an hour and the outcome: a life was saved and a family's wishes were honoured. Most often, organs are transported overland by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). However, if the traffic is too congested, alternative transportation must be identified. As a result, the Hamilton, Halton, Peel and Toronto Police Services have developed a partnership to assist Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) in these situations where timing is critical. Although the police decide if conditions are PHOTO COURTESY HALTON REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE TO THE RESCUE: Halton police are using their boat to help transport organs quickly. favourable for a transfer, officers and medical personnel will work together to determine the safest and quickest mode of transportation. When the marine unit gets the call, they know they have little time to spare. The officers take a maximum of 10 minutes to determine whether they, and neighbouring police, have a vessel and personnel and if the weather/water conditions are conducive to speedy transport. Successful organ transfer is the result of a team effort in which police from these jurisdictions and multidisciplinary hospital staff work seamlessly together to ensure a successful outcome. The TGLN, created by the Ontario Government, is Ontario's central organ and tissue donation organization. Part of its mandate is to manage the procurement, distribution and delivery of organs and tissue. Nancy Hemrica, the TGLN organ donor coordinator at Hamilton Health Sciences, explains it's not always organs that must be transported quickly. "Blood specimens from the donor must be tested for West Nile Virus, HIV, and Hepatitis B and C. This is an extremely time sensitive procedure," she said. "The blood samples must be processed within four hours of drawing them from the donor. The outcome of organ donations rests on those test results." All of the organ donors from this area of Ontario have their blood tested at the Toronto Medical Laboratories. The first time the marine unit was used for this life saving purpose was in early June. The blood samples were ready for transport to Toronto but road congestion was prohibitive. A cross-lake transfer was required to transport the blood sample from a Hamilton hospital to the laboratory in Toronto so Hemrica made a call to marine unit member Halton Regional Police Constable Andy Olesen. Olesen organized a transfer with the Peel marine unit near the Oakville/Peel border. Peel police transported the package to the Toronto marine unit, which then passed the package on to the Toronto Ambulance Service. By avoiding the heavy traffic in the Hamilton/Toronto corridor, the run was successfully completed well within the two-hour limit for the transfer, leaving the necessary time for the blood testing. The blood samples were successfully tested and the donation process was completed in a timely fashion which was beneficial to the organ donor's family and the grateful recipients. Two GTA men each received a kidney that helped save their lives. Other organs were sent out of province and also successfully transplanted. "It is a pleasure to work with all branches of the Halton and Hamilton police services to enhance the organ donation process," says Hemrica. "The level of commitment and cooperation from all officers is exemplary and is integral to the success of every donation." The Hamilton/Halton police marine unit operates from May 1 to the end of November and consists of four officers from Halton Regional Police and five from Hamilton. -- Staff Sergeant Larry R. Masson is Manager of Community Services for the Halton Regional Police Service. #1 Website oakvillebeaver