Calgary police have joined forces with eight other organizations to launch the Emergency Alert Identification Card pilot program so people with disabilities can get the help they need quickly.
First responders often struggle to obtain information quickly from people when they are faced with an emergency.
The new ID cards provide important information about the person that emergency crews can then use to contact loved ones or adjust treatment.
“This much-needed resource will bring peace of mind to the families we work with,” says Sharon Nagel, with the Ability Hub and the Persons with Disabilities Chief Advisory Board for CPS. “There is nothing scarier than knowing your loved one might not be able to communicate with emergency responders when they need it most.”
The new IDs are about the size of a driver’s license.
The front of the card features a photo of the person and their emergency contact information and the back of the card contains information about the individual’s disability, level of communication, special considerations, behavioral concerns, safety concerns, medical conditions, type of medications and any potential side effects.
Police say the cards also contain information on how to reach loved ones for situations where a person with a hidden disability becomes lost, or confused.
Hidden disabilities like mental illness, developmental or neurological disabilities can often be misconstrued as alcohol or drug induced impairment which limits public assistance to the person in need.
“Time, and information, is of the essence when a person with a disability becomes separated from their routine and the people they love,” says Cst. Patty Desormeau of the Calgary Police Service Diversity Resources Team. “The ID cards will assist not only the police with the important information they need, but provide much needed information to anyone who may find the person, ideally resulting in a quicker return home.”
The cards can also be carried by parents of special needs children in case they are involved in an accident and are unable to communicate.
The cards will alert emergency responders to the fact they have a child with special needs and ensure they are looked after.
Police say that for many the card may be their only form of identification.
To obtain a card, individuals are asked to contact their serving agency.
Agencies involved include:
- The Ability Hub
- Autism Calgary Association
- Southern Alberta Brain Injury Society (SABIS)
- Epilepsy Association of Calgary
- Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada
- Canadian Mental Health Association
