THUNDER BAY - Thunder Bay’s most vulnerable population will now have some extra assurance in emergency situations.
On Monday, it was announced that the Ontario Provincial Police were partnering with MedicAlert Foundation Canada to better equip officers with critical information about a patient during an emergency situation.
MedicAlert is a 24-7 emergency notification system that acts as a hotline for emergency responders to access subscribers’ detailed medical profile.
“We are there when someone can’t speak for themselves,” MedicAlert senior operations manager Clint Kimchand said at a Tuesday press conference.
The service gives police officers access to a photo, identifying information, past wandering history, triggers, and de-escalation techniques.
OPP Staff Sgt. Jason Belanger said the partnership will give officers an important resource that didn’t exist before.
“With years in front-line policing, I experience numerous missing person events, especially a lot of people with mental health issues,” Belanger said.
“When you come across somebody suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s, they’re confused and they’re lost… it’s very difficult to return them to their loved ones or find out where they’re missing from.”
Often officers who can’t communicate with patients suffering from dementia will have to report them to an emergency room, Belanger added.
“When people are often confused and in medical distress, getting the most basic of medical information is difficult and time-consuming.”
Clint Kimchand added that de-escalation techniques and being able to identify individuals in vulnerable states are critical.
"Especially with an aging population, this is a valuable resource," Kimchand said.
MedicAlert is also partnering with Emergency Medical Services for increased access to medical information in emergency situations.
As part of an OPP launch promotion, new subscribers can purchase one year of service, plus a piece of ID for $30.
