43
Check-in calls to enrollees in new Boardman program set to begin Monday
BOARDMAN
The township police department begins the new year with a new program that aims to take better care of residents who are elderly and/or disabled.
Phone calls to enrollees in the Care Call program are slated to go out for the first time Monday.
The program will send out automated calls each day or on the days and times that the enrollee chooses. During the call, the participant will be asked to press a button to indicate that they are OK.
If the program doesn’t receive an affirmative response, it then calls a designated contact person; a police officer will go to the residence if those steps do not verify that the individual is OK.
In case of emergency, the fire department then would be called to aid the participant.
“A few years ago when the township passed a police levy, one of the goals was to pay extra attention to some at-risk populations. One of those at-risk populations in this community are the elderly,” Police Chief Jack Nichols previously said. “Often our officers or the fire department goes to the residence and finds that they’ve fallen, or become ill, or are in some type of distress, and often they lay there for hours or even days before help comes.”
The program is a free service, funding for which comes from money seized during drug busts conducted by the police department. Advertising costs for the program are covered by funds from the cable franchise fee.
The program had about 25 enrollees as of this week. Police department officials will begin actively seeking out residents who might wish to apply, such as by making applications available at churches, hospitals, doctors’ offices and other locations around the township.
Police officers also will be on the lookout for people in need of such a service during their patrols and incident responses.
For information or to obtain enrollment forms, visit www.boardmantwp.com/police, stop by the police department at 8299 Market St. or call 330-729-2014.