Police officers and firefighters will have valuable information available to them when responding to calls involving people with disabilities.
September 30, 2019 – In a City focused on providing the best, and most inclusive, possible service, Richfield is outfitting its first responders with the Vitals™ App beginning October 1st.
For the Fire Department, the individualized information will be available as firefighters respond to more than 4,000 calls annually. “We respond to calls for services from both adults and youth with a variety of visible and invisible impairments, on an almost daily basis. Interacting with first responders can be stressful and triggering. We are glad to add an additional tool that will make these interactions easier for the community,” Fire Chief Wayne Kewitsch explained.
The Vitals™ App provides first responders with crucial information about vulnerable individuals, increasing the effectiveness of situational response and vastly expanding the potential for successful and safe resolutions. Vitals™ enrollees, or their family members, voluntarily provide the individualized information in this cutting-edge program revolving around technological innovation. When officers respond to calls regarding Vitals enrollees, they immediately receive important information on their smart phones that will help them de-escalate a potentially volatile situation by providing a response catered to a person’s specific needs and vulnerabilities.
“The more advanced preparation our officers have when responding to calls gives them improved chances for positive outcomes. The 80-foot notifications the Vitals™ App provides our officers will be a big help when it comes to providing aid to our residents with disabilities,” Richfield Police Department Lieutenant Bill Stanger said.
Vitals CEO Janeé Harteau is proud to simultaneously provide service for both agencies. Based on both the police and fire department’s remarkable track records of quickly responding to calls for service, she believes the app will make a big difference in the community. “Knowing this valuable information will help the men and women working to keep the community safe is an honor for our organization. We stand ready to help Richfield sign up as many residents, and their loved ones, as possible.”
Vitals™ Aware Services was launched in August of 2017. Approximately 70 first responding agencies and two school districts are now using the community-based service.
About Vitals™ Aware Services
Vitals™ works by equipping first responders with information voluntarily provided by Vitals™ enrollees. Law enforcement and other first responders download the Vitals™ First Responder app on their cellphones. The service allows a vulnerable person to register online, then wear a beacon that takes the form of a keychain, necklace, debit card or bracelet. An Android phone can also serve as the beacon. When a Vitals™ user comes within 80 feet of an officer or first responder equipped with the service, the officer will get a notification about the person’s diagnosis and how they may best interact with them.
To learn more about Vitals™, go to www.thevitalsapp.com.
