Sara Fitzpatrick, 12, and her mom, Merrily Bowers, recently began discussing how providing important medical information to first responders could help save lives.
They learned about special medical identification bracelets that can communicate vital information, even when the wearer cannot speak up to share those details, and they reached out to Loveland police.
Working with the Loveland family, the Loveland Police Department and Thompson Valley Emergency Medical Services provided $5,000 to buy the bracelets to be given to residents for free, and a new initiative called Sara’s Project was born.
“I hope it will help people with problems if they have a hard time communicating, and people may not really know what to say with the anxiety that comes on,” said Sara, a seventh-grader. “I think it can really help a lot of people.”
Sara herself deals with anxiety and autism. She and her mom began talking about what would happen if she were contacted by police or medical personnel during an emergency and, because of her conditions, was not able to communicate, speak to the officer or even respond to commands.
So, they decided to find a solution, and in their research, they found a special medical alert identification bracelet equipped with a QR code that can be easily scanned with a cellphone. Once the bracelet is scanned, a report pops up with specific information for the police officer or paramedic, not just medical conditions but emergency contact information and even how to best respond to that person.
The information remains confidential and is only used to help during an emergency, Loveland Police Lt. Jeff Pyle said.
The bracelets are something residents may choose to wear, and they may choose what information to include, what they would like first responders to know if, for some reason, they can’t communicate during an emergency situation. Sara’s bracelet includes how to contact her mom, Merrily Bowers.
“Officers and paramedics are responding to many situations that are mental-health related or physical-health related,” Pyle said. “How can we get the information and slow it down? We’ve taken a lot of nasty calls lately. Sara and her mom came to us with a conversation and a solution.”
Pyle reached out to Chief Randy Lesher, head of Thompson Valley Emergency Medical Services, and together they made Sara’s Project happen. The two agencies provided money to buy 400 bracelets, and on Aug. 29, they spent several hours at The Foundry in downtown Loveland with Sara and her family handing out bracelets and information to anyone who was interested.
Pyle said they still have about 300 to give away, in different styles and colors. Some are wristbands. Others, like the one Pyle wears, are watchbands, and some are even tags that can hang on shoes or necklaces, as Pyle explained, anywhere that will make the wearer comfortable.
People with dementia, for example, may need their medical alert code on something familiar, he said.
“We think, where can we put these on something they like, on a chain or a tennis shoe or a necklace they like,” Pyle said.
For paramedics in the field, the faster they receive pertinent information, the better the chance they can save a life, Lesher explained. They will know about medical allergies, conditions and other information upfront as they begin treating a patient in an emergency.
“It’s a good program,” Lesher said. “It will be good for those who want to do it. It’s an option.”
Bowers said the program offers her peace of mind, and she thinks it will do the same for others.
Pyle said that officers and paramedics in Loveland have been given information about the bracelets, to look for them and how to scan them. He also said he plans to share information with other first responders in Larimer County, so they too know about the tool that is out there.
“(Sara) was the inspiration, so we named the program after her,” Pyle said. “She really inspired a lot of people. I told her that she really does save lives. A lot of families were thanking us (at the Aug. 29 event) because they were scared.”
He added, “We’re all in this together for the citizens of Larimer County. … This is part of being part of the community.”
Anyone who wants a medical alert bracelet with a QR code can contact Pyle at jeff.pyle@cityofloveland.org or Bambi Brady at bbrady@tvems.com.
