MedicAlert, police partner up

Municipal police in P.E.I. are the first in Atlantic Canada to bring the MedicAlert Protect service to their communities.

Françoise Faverjon-Fortin, CEO of MedicAlert Foundation Canada, describes MedicAlert as a vital link between first responders and the community.

MedicAlert Connect Protect provides police quick 24/7 access to a subscriber’s emergency profile. This service gives police first responders, through their dispatcher, critical intelligence, including a recent photo, physical descriptions, wandering history, behaviour management strategies such as anxiety triggers and de-escalation techniques and caregiver information.

The information will now be accessible to municipal police in Kensington, Summerside and Charlottetown.

“Charlottetown Police Services is committed to continual improvement of services to those we serve, and as policing agencies we are pleased to enter in to this partnership with MedicAlert Foundation Canada,” said Charlottetown Police Services Chief Paul Smith.

“Information is a key component to policing. Forging this partnership will give our frontline officers quick database access to important information that will enable us to assist vulnerable persons and provide positive outcomes.”

This partnership between policing agencies and MedicAlert has proven effective in other Canadian communities in assisting individuals living with autism, Alzheimer’s, dementia, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, mental health-related issues and cognitive brain injuries.

“The Kensington Police Service is very excited to be able to access the information that we need immediately,” said Kensington Chief of Police Lewis Sutherland.

“This will assist the dispatchers and the police officers with gathering and disseminating the proper information needed for locating the lost or missing individuals.’’