Emergency Info Vials save time in a crisis

As published in The Erin Advocate

Storing a vial of crucial medical information in your refrigerator could help paramedics to quickly provide the care needed in a crisis – and perhaps save your life.

The Emergency Information Vials are being offered free of charge to residents in the Erin-Eramosa area through the efforts of volunteers with the Town of Erin Community Oriented Policing Committee.

Allen Welke of Erin’s Community Oriented Policing Committee 

(at back) joined participants in the Centre 2000 Adult Day Program 

and Sherri Plourde, Manager of Senior Services with 

East Wellington Community Services for the launch 

of the Emergency Information Vial program.

The program is of special interest to seniors who may be at a greater risk of a medical emergency, but could also be valuable for anyone who lives or works alone, people with disabling conditions or allergies and those whose first language is not English.

The free kits contain a plastic bottle, special stickers for the refrigerator and front door, and a medical form where you would list your emergency contact person and details about your medications and medical conditions.

Having the vial accessible on the door inside the refrigerator will give police and ambulance personnel a head start in assessing the situation and arranging the treatment you need. The information will also save time for hospital emergency room staff.

Each person in the household would fill out their own copy of the medical form, which could include details about having diabetes, an allergy to penicillin or use of a pacemaker.

Allen Welke of the COP Committee said that Jones Packaging of London, which manufacturers the vials, has donated 500 of them to help get the program started.

The Committee will be arranging to distribute the kits through various community sources, but anyone wanting one now should phone East Wellington Community Services at 519-833-9696 or drop in at 45 Main Street in Erin.

Erin’s COP Committee deals with various issues of safety and protection of property, and normally meets on the first Wednesday of each month at Centre 2000 at 7pm. All meetings are open to the public. Go to www.erin.ca to confirm meeting dates and access links to a wide variety of Ontario Provincial Police resources.