Yellow dots are showing up in counties nationwide, and first responders couldn’t be happier to see them.
The canary-colored spots are appearing on the rear windows of vehicles, signaling that life-saving medical information can be found in the driver’s glove compartment.
If a traffic accident or sudden onset of a medical crisis renders the driver unable to communicate, the information can help him or her receive the proper treatment.
Nassau County, N.Y. is among the latest jurisdictions to launch a Yellow Dot Program, the first of which can be traced back to Connecticut in 2002. Orange County, Va. has had its program since 2004; Lee County, Ala. for about a year, and Erie County, N.Y. just approved one. Illinois has a statewide program. The programs are free to participants.
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“The first moments of a first responder’s time in care are the critical moments, they’re called the Golden Hour,” said Edward P. Mangano, Nassau County executive, when announcing the program late last month. “Think about it when you drive, if you were unable to communicate, how would someone be able to contact someone that could help you with that vital information?”
Information such as medications a person is taking, allergies, emergency contact phone numbers, recent surgeries and a photograph of the driver are kept in a packet or on a card in the glove box. Nassau and other counties offer the program in addition to File of Life or Vial of Life programs that consolidate similar information that is placed in the home on a refrigerator door.
Some counties tailor their programs mainly to the elderly, but virtually all are open to anyone wishing to participate.
In Alabama, about 18,000 of Lee County’s 124,000 residents have signed up to participate, according to Maj. Tommy Carter of the Sheriff’s Office. “We have really pushed this hard and heavy; it doesn’t take but just a few minutes to sign up,” he said. There are six locations throughout the county where residents can join the program, including the sheriff’s office, a local business and two fire departments. Costs to the county are minimal as the state provides most program materials.
Photo courtesy of Nassau County, N.Y.
Edward P. Mangano, Nassau County, N.Y. executive, is flanked by county officials and dignitaries as he announces the county’s new Yellow Dot Program on Dec. 21.
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The program has already proved its value in its first year. Carter said there have been two instances of first responders arriving at accident scenes where the drivers were unconscious, but they had yellow dots. “The paramedics were able to tell the doctors the kinds of medications they were on, so obviously that was a tremendous help.”
Alabama has one of the most robust programs in the nation, with about half of its 67 counties participating. There is no national umbrella organization sponsoring the programs, but Alabama officials are a good point of contact to learn more about the program, based on their experience. Lora Weaver of the Northeast Alabama Traffic Safety Office at lweaver@etowahcounty.org is the statewide contact.
Erie County Legislator Lynne M. Dixon has aging parents with health issues, and she proposed the Yellow Dot Program to her colleagues after a senior citizen constituent asked her if the county had such a program or would consider starting one. It passed unanimously.
“It’s not a very expensive program to implement,” she said, “but it still does cost a few thousand dollars. And in these tight budget times, I think every level of government is playing it pretty close to the vest right now.”
The county’s Department of Senior Services will implement the program, and the county hopes to fund it through public-private partnerships.
“We hope to begin a pilot program this coming year, where we can start off small and grow the program,” Dixon said.
While having a yellow dot on one’s rear window lets first responders know to look for medical information inside, doesn’t it also advertise that fact to everyone else?
“I want to stress that having that yellow dot on the rear windshield does not signify that there are medications, prescriptions, that sort of thing in the glove compartment,” Dixon explained. “So I think that’s an important point to make.”
Carter said residents also wonder whether his department keeps a record of the information. It doesn’t. Carter and others are quick to point out that there is no data that puts the driver at risk of identity theft, and the programs are voluntary.
Elaine Anderson coordinates Orange County’s program. She has been contacted from states as far away as Washington, Florida, Minnesota and Missouri. “I’ve recommended it all over the United States, she said, and they’ve been happy with it.”