Calgary, AB,
16
January
2019
|
08:06
America/Denver

Police and MedicAlert® Connect Protect Service partnership to supersede Vulnerable Persons Self-Registry

The Calgary Police Service and MedicAlert® Foundation Canada are working together to improve how first responders get information on anyone who may require special attention in an emergency due to a medical, mental health or physical condition, or due to a cognitive developmental disability.

Through MedicAlert Connect Protect, police and other first responders in Calgary will now have quick, secure, 24-hour access to registered MedicAlert subscribers’ identity, photo, address, emergency contact and other vital medical information. Every subscriber to the MedicAlert service also wears a MedicAlert medical ID with a unique identification number on it, allowing first responders to access their profile even if the person is unable to identify themselves at the time.

The partnership will replace Calgary’s Vulnerable Persons Self-Registry, which was launched three years ago. At the time, the registry met the needs of the Service and vulnerable Calgarians. However, the police staff time required to maintain the registry is no longer sustainable and the information contained in its database was often outdated or incomplete as a result.

“We can no longer maintain our own database but have seen the value in giving front line personnel quick access to critical information when a person has a condition that requires special attention," says Deputy Chief Ryan Ayliffe, Calgary Police Service Bureau of Operations. “Because MedicAlert has been providing a similar service for over 55 years and already has successful partnerships with over 25 other police agencies in Canada, they were a natural fit for replacing our database.”

“We are honored to leverage MedicAlert’s emergency information services expertise to help Calgary officers be more efficient in recognizing and assisting people that would have wandered or could not talk for themselves as quickly as possible, to help protect more Canadians and also to better utilize police resources,” explained Françoise Faverjon-Fortin, CEO of MedicAlert.

In an emergency situation, Emergency Communications Officers at Calgary 9-1-1 will have 24-hour direct access to a MedicAlert subscriber’s recent photo and personal information including identity, physical descriptions, attributes, wandering history, behavior management strategies such as anxiety triggers and de-escalation techniques, as well as caregiver information. This information can then be shared with police officers and first responders called to an emergency involving a MedicAlert subscriber, providing them with vital information which may be necessary to save a life. When a wandering person is found, this information also allows emergency responders to quickly identify and locate family members.

Another added benefit of MedicAlert over the previous registry is that the MedicAlert IDs all have a 1-800 number that first responders in any jurisdiction can call to obtain the same information, meaning that Calgarians who have registered will still benefit from the service even if they travel outside of the city.

MedicAlert will be hosting information and registration sessions where they will be offering a limited time on-site discount. Anyone who is currently registered on the Vulnerable Persons Self-Registry, as well as those wanting to sign up themselves or a loved one, is encouraged to stop by the Atrium of the Calgary Municipal Building located at 800 Macleod Trail S.E. on Wednesday, Jan. 16, and Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019, from 10 a.m., to 4 p.m.

The Calgary Police Service’s Vulnerable Persons Self-Registry will be discontinued on Friday, February 15, 2019, and all personal information in its database will be destroyed.

MedicAlert Foundation Canada is the largest membership-based registered charity in Canada and it is the leading provider of emergency medical information services. MedicAlert’s mission is to ensure that all Canadians have access to high-quality health information at time of need, and has protected more than one million Canadians since 1961.

Media Contacts: 

Public Affairs & Media Relations
Calgary Police Service
403-428-7979

 

Tracey Tang
Manager, Marketing, Donations & Media Relations
MedicAlert Foundation Canada
416-696-0142 x 1251 or
1-866-679-3217 x 1251
ttang@medicalert.ca