The city of Edmond, Okla., has started an information-sharing program for families of children with disabilities to let emergency responders know about their kids' special needs.
Organizers include the city's central emergency communications center for 911 calls and the city school department, along with parents of children who have autism spectrum disorders and other disabilities. The program, called Project Keep, for Kids in Edmond with Emergency Priorities, is designed to alert local authorities, such as police and firefighters, to the needs of children with autism and other disabilities at addresses where emergency calls occur. Emergency call dispatchers will be able to access this information via the city's computerized 911 system. The notes about people with disabilities are also available to first responders equipped with computers in their vehicles, according to a press release issued by the city. You can view the press release here.
The Edmond project is the kind of effort that safety experts say is a good idea for families with autistic children who may not respond to commands from police and firefighters in an emergency setting.
Also see:
Safety Tips for Children with Autism
An Autism Resource for Police
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I've read about this a couple of times. I hope that it gets fully implemented and people actually use it once there's an actual emergency. We thought we were prepared and then Katrina happened.
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