Over 200 million people in the United States will see winter storms, extreme cold and other hazardous conditions today and over the weekend, NPR reports. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for much of Central Illinois.
Bundling up might be easy enough for work in an office or somewhere with warm conditions. Some professions, such as a police officer, do not have that luxury.
But Patrol Officer Nick Kosenesky is no stranger to braving the Midwest cold.
“I grew up in Chicago, so I thought I knew what cold was, but not in police fashion,” he joked. “Just being outside for longer periods of time, you kind of just have to adjust. Like, your patrol bag just basically becomes like a locker carrying all your extra little stuff here and there.”
The Illinois State University graduate has been on the force for nearly 5 years.
Officer preparation
Even though Kosenesky navigated negative temperatures working patrol Friday, he said he wouldn’t have it any other way. He said Normal is a special town he gets to work for.
“I couldn’t work in an office my whole life. Yeah, this is fun,” Kosenesky said. “I like being out and about, talking with people, interacting with people, good or bad. I mean, it’s what we signed up for. It’s what I knew going into the job.”
However, that does not mean the job gets easier when temperatures drop. From packing extra socks and making sure to wear long underwear to keeping a good attitude, Kosenesky has learned tips and tricks to stay warm.
Some new thermal jackets that were issued a couple months ago also help.
“Now, the issue is, most of the gloves that we wear, that I choose to wear, [are] thinner just because I still need to manipulate my tools when I’m working,” Kosenesky said. “It’s just easier. I can still manipulate everything and do my job effectively.”
Despite the efficient training Normal Police Department [NPD] officers undergo, none quite cover cold weather, Kosenesky said.
“[You] just have to be more aware of what type of call you’re going to and if you will have to be outside, like for accidents. You know you’re going to be outside for at least a little bit,” Kosenesky said. “So, now you got to come out dressed appropriately. You’re going to understand that people aren’t happy.”
He said officers are held to a higher standard and “rightfully so.” Therefore, they can’t let the weather impact their demeanor with citizens or each other.
“You still have to be on top of it. You can’t just sit there and wallow being, ‘oh my gosh, it’s so cold, I can’t think,’” he said. “You need to still be able to think, act correctly and make the right choices. Because not only are you endangering the public, you could be endangering your fellow officers’ life, suspect, victim, stuff like that. You still need to be able to make the right call, no matter the weather.”
Kosenesky said it would be a disservice to those the officers serve to let the weather affect them when they show up for a call.
Tackling different calls
One of many calls during Kosenesky’s shift today was a car accident at the corner of Fell and West Mulberry Streets.
For a minor accident such as that, an officer can do his best to let everyone stay in their car.
“So, pretty much all we’re going to do out here, just make sure everyone’s safe, grab their basic info, driver’s license, insurance, all that stuff,” he said. “I’m the one that’s hopping around, but that’s okay.”
If an accident were more serious, Kosenesky said his next step would be to get the drivers into someplace warm. Whether that is a nearby public building such as the Normal Public Library or inside an ambulance if they require care.
“I always say, we’re people, too,” he said. “We know they don’t want to stand in the cold, so there’s no need for everyone just kind of be freezing together.”
Other kinds of calls, like wellness checks, don’t change much in the weather, Kosenesky said. Mostly, they just have to get a little picky about coming to unlock cars.
“Unless it’s an emergency, like kids, pets, something is in the car that we need to get to. Of course, we’ll go out to those, but if it’s just someone locked themselves out of their car in the Meijer parking lot…that’s not a high priority call,” he said.
Vulnerable populations
McLean County regularly notifies residents of businesses and organizations that are open to them for relief during times of extreme temperatures. In the winter, various warming centers are available at different times.
Unhoused folks are one of the most vulnerable populations during cold weather. As the response to a call, Kosenesky and NPD are able to provide some options.
“A lot of these businesses, other warming centers, are open during the day. Midnights, it becomes a little bit more difficult,” he said. “There are some 24-hour, 24/7 warming centers, but for the most part, it’s Salvation Army is where we’re taking people.”
But sometimes picking out a center is not so easy. If an individual is banned from a location, that makes it harder.
“PATH has some homeless services that they offer. We can get them hotels, like a hotel room for the night, but longer term, that’s going to be on them,” Kosenesky said.
Another difficulty comes when a call happens in the middle of the night and businesses are not open. Kosenesky said officers try their best to come up with a solution.
“I wish there were more open places, even if it’s like the cold months, have a bigger time range that they’re open," he said.
Even if a person has a criminal history, sometimes, Kosenesky said, "not worried about that, just getting them somewhere warm for the night," he said.
Kosenesky said he does not like to see people out in the cold, and he will always stop to help them as long as they want the help in return.
