STICKERS HELP ALERT FIRST RESPONDERS
A new Mt. Lebanon Police Department initiative aims to alert first responders in emergency situations about individuals at the scene who have disabilities.
Mt. Lebanon Police Chief Aaron Lauth supported the idea after he learned about the Pitcairn Police Department’s program in which alert stickers could be placed on the window of a vehicle or home.
“I saw it and thought it was a great idea,” Chief Lauth said. “We are always striving to make sure our officers are going into a situation with the most information possible.”
The Mt. Lebanon website provides this outline of the initiative: “If you or someone you love has autism or an intellectual disability that might not be apparent to first responders, you can now get a sticker to place on your vehicle or home to alert emergency workers. Individuals with these disabilities don’t always respond in a way that first responders might expect, so the sticker is a valuable alert to help keep everyone safe in the event of an emergency.”
The yellow “occupant with autism” and “occupant with disability” stickers are available from the Mt. Lebanon Police Department’s crime prevention unit and the community outreach division of the Mt. Lebanon Fire Department, both at 555 Washington Road.
The stickers also are available at the administrative offices of Medical Rescue Team South Authority at 315 Cypress Way. The stickers were designed in- house by Judy Macoskey of the Mt. Lebanon public information office.
“It’s an additional tool,” Chief Lauth said of the stickers. They will help make first responders aware of a situation that could be out of the ordinary.
Chief Lauth said his officers recently faced a situation at a house fire where an individual with autism ran from first responders out of fear.
He stressed it would be a good idea if individuals or families of those who have a disability come to the police, fire or Medical Rescue Team South offices to pick up a sticker.
“The idea with these is we want to hand them out on a case- by- case basis,” Chief Lauth said.
“We would love to meet them. We want that interaction,” he said. The chief added that he wants to make sure the individual knows that emergency responders are there to help and the person does not need to be afraid.
Chief Lauth pointed out that his department, which consists of 46 officers, undergoes extensive training in mental health and autism awareness.
To get a sticker, call the Mt. Lebanon Police Department’s crime prevention unit at 412343- 4068, the Mt. Lebanon Fire Department’s community outreach division at 412- 3433402 or Medical Rescue Team South Authority at 412- 3435111. For those who are unable to pick up a sticker in person, Chief Lauth said one can be mailed.