New partnership between Saskatchewan policing agencies and MedicAlert

New partnership between Saskatchewan policing agencies and MedicAlert

New partnership between Saskatchewan policing agencies and MedicAlert

Municipal Police Services and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, under the auspices of the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police (SACP), is partnering with MedicAlert Foundation Canada to better help officers quickly locate lost or missing vulnerable individuals so they can be quickly and safely returned to their loved ones.  This partnership has proven effective in other Canadian communities in assisting individuals living with autism, Alzheimer disease, dementia, or other cognitive brain injuries.

The MedicAlert Connect Protect service is a voluntary, vulnerable-person registry which gives police officers 24/7 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.

Having access to this information through the MedicAlert identification and associated database will help officers search more efficiently, increasing the chances that those who go missing are reunited with their loved ones sooner. Officers called to an emergency involving a MedicAlert subscriber will have access to vital information which could save a life.

“Anyone who is related to, or cares for, a person who is vulnerable because of age, dementia, brain injury or other conditions, knows, first-hand, the critical importance of knowing where that person is at any given time, “ said Chief Marlo Pritchard, Chief of the Weyburn Police Service and President of the SACP.  “Having a vulnerable family member or friend go missing, even for a short time, is every caregiver’s nightmare.  We are pleased to work in partnership with MedicAlert in this voluntary program to help vulnerable individuals live in safety.”

“As a registered Canadian charity for more than 55 years, MedicAlert has played an important role in helping to protect Canadians and give families peace of mind in wandering or emergency situations,” explained Robert Ridge, President

of MedicAlert. “Our database is a vital link between the community and first responders when faster, informed action makes all the difference and we’re honoured to assist police services across the country.”

The official launch of the MedicAlert Connect-Protect partnership takes place at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 3, 2018, at the Executive Royal Hotel (Emerald A Room), 4025 Albert Street, Regina.  MedicAlert will be also be holding a voluntary sign up session at the Executive Royal Hotel (Jade Room) from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. on October 3, 2018, following the launch announcement of MedicAlert Connect Protect. Thanks to the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police and MedicAlert Foundation Canada, for a limited time, Saskatchewan residents can sign up to be MedicAlert subscribers and receive their first-year service plan and a MedicAlert identification at no cost. Please visit your local police service for more details.

For more information on the MedicAlert Connect Protect service, visit medicalert.ca/connectprotect

Background:

MedicAlert Foundation Canada (MAFCA) 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.

MedicAlert® is backed by robust electronic health records maintained by medically trained professionals, a state-of-the-art secure database, and a 24/7 Emergency Hotline that answers calls from emergency responder personnel in 140 languages within an average of 5 seconds, all linked to customized identification products for Canadians with medical conditions and special needs. Globally recognized and respected, MedicAlert speaks for you, when you can’tTM.

Learn more about MedicAlert, how it works, and how you or a loved one can sign up to a service plan by visiting medicalert.ca or calling 1-866-696-0273.

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