Organize To Help First Responders: The Yellow Dot Program

Posted on: March 22nd, 2018 by Julie Bestry | 7 Comments

Most of us spend time thinking about how to prevent medical emergencies. We try to exercise and eat healthily. We make doctor’s appointments, get all of the appropriate medical screening tests for our age group and gender, and we learn how to manage our health conditions in hopes of preventing complications.

Nobody likes to think about medical emergencies, but for the same reason we buy insurance (whether auto, home, health, or, in the worst case scenario, life insurance), we need to prepare for the unexpected. And when the unexpected does happen, we depend on first responders, particularly emergency medical technicians and paramedics, who have the training necessary to help us get safely treated.

So why not help the helpers?

Downtown Hospital Ambulance” by sponki25 is licensed under CC BY 2.0

In our next two posts, we’re going to look at two resources to organize essential medical information so that first responders can render aid when we need it, whether we’re out and about, or at home.

YELLOW DOT PROGRAM

At a DiabetesSisters meeting a few years ago, someone mentioned the existence of Tennessee’s Yellow Dot program, but almost nobody in the room was aware of this life-saving project.

The Yellow Dot Program, available at no cost to participants, was initially developed as a regional program in the early 2000s. It is now a national program sponsored and funded by the United States Department of Transportation as a result of the work of the 113th Congress, the bill having been introduced by West Virginia’s Senator Joe Manchin III.

The purpose of the program is to help automobile drivers and their passengers communicate vital information to medical personnel (as well as police, firefighters, and other first responders) during road emergencies, like car accidents.

In case drivers or passengers are incapacitated, in shock, or are otherwise unable to communicate about their medical conditions, car owners can affix yellow stickers to their rear windshields to alert first responders that occupants of the car may require specialized medical attention. (Smaller stickers are available for motorcycle use.) Although state programs tend to accent Yellow Dot for use by senior citizens, anyone with a serious health condition or atypical health situation should consider making use of the program.

The stickers let first responders know to look in the glove compartment for a kit: a yellow plastic folder, container, or envelope. In it, they will find information regarding:

  • the medical conditions, allergies, recent surgeries, and special needs of anyone riding in the car who might require special care
  • lists of current prescriptions, dosages, and prescribers
  • emergency contact information
  • a photograph of the person so that he or she can be quickly identified as needing special attention

The Yellow Dot Program maintains no centralized database at any government or community level, so individuals concerned about privacy breaches should feel at ease. The information is maintained in the glove compartment and is not accessed by anyone (except the owner or passenger of a vehicle) unless there is an emergency situation.

At the meeting where I first learned about the Yellow Dot Program, we talked about the importance of police and medical personnel knowing that someone in the car might be suffering from hyper- or hypoglycemia, which can appear to the untrained eye to resemble drunkenness, stroke, dementia, or other health conditions.

Research shows that 90,000 to 100,000 individuals die each year due to adverse drug reactions, some of which result from standard treatments “in the field” to which an individual may be allergic. Similarly, an accident victim who has had a recent surgery may be at greater risk for complications, and first responders need to know that.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

If you know someone who has a medical condition that might require special on-the-scene treatment by EMTs and paramedics, encourage them to sign up for the Yellow Dot Program. Management of the program varies by location, and though it’s overseen by state Departments of Transportation, management often occurs at the county level.

While some programs allow online sign-up, other communities require that participants come to an enrollment station or registration center (often at the nearest DMV, although some local businesses sponsor the printing of Yellow Dot stickers and kits and help enroll participants). Help your loved ones gather the vital paperwork – including medical and prescription information and a current photo – to put in the yellow folder to be kept in the glove compartment, and make sure you or they actually put the sticker on the rear windshield!

Although the Yellow Dot Program is funded nationwide, it is voluntary, and many states have declined to participate; other states have shown interest but have not yet rolled out their programs. If your state is listed (below) without a link, there is likely no centralized program in your state, and you will need to call or search for your county’s transportation department or division of aging services. (Yes, Paper Doll feels this is all very disorganized at the state and federal levels! Harrumph!)

Alabama

Georgia

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Maine

Massachusetts (search “Yellow Dot Program” and the name of your town rather than county)

Minnesota

Nevada

New Hampshire

New York

North Carolina

Pennsylvania

Tennessee

Utah

Note: In 2017, Illinois mysteriously canceled participation in the Yellow Dot Program, but encourages all drivers to register with the state’s emergency contact database, which serves a similar function.

If yours isn’t one of participating states listed belong, contact your state’s Department of Transportation to inquire if and when the Yellow Dot program will be available for you. While you’re waiting, you can purchase an unofficial National Yellow Dot Program kit (with stickers and standard or folding pockets) directly from retailer StoreSMART in various batch sizes (from 2 to 2500) or in packages of five from Walmart.

In addition to the stickers and kits, StoreSMART has free, downloadable PDF medical forms. (You can also review the websites of the participating states, above, as many, such as Alabama, have their own downloadable medical forms, accessible to all.)

COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES

Various communities have found opportunities to use the yellow dots beyond private vehicles. Adult day care centers for senior citizens and people with disabilities, as well as traditional day care centers for children, can make use of the program by helping individuals in their care (and caregivers or parents) develop a person-specific packet, and make copies for family vehicles, program/center vehicles, and care centers.

Next time, we’ll be talking about the Vial of Life program, and how to ensure that first responders can locate your essential medical information when they attend to you at home. Until then, be healthy, be safe, and be organized.

SaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

7 Responses

  1. I’m one of the “never knew about this” people. I looked at your list and discovered that New York is a participating state. I just ordered two kits for me and my husband. While no one wants to have an emergency, it helps to be prepared. It takes some of the chaos out of the equation.

    The other great tip is putting emergency contacts on your phone as ICE1, ICE2, ICE3. Emergency workers know to look for those numbers to call your contacts. I guess that’s assuming your phone isn’t locked.

  2. Seana Turner says:

    I think this seems like a great idea. Sorry my state (CT) isn’t on the list. Sigh… perhaps someday. The odds of a car accident victim not being able to clearly articulate medical needs seems pretty high.

  3. I didn’t know about this either, Julie. It’s fabulous information. Georgia is a state with a link. I’m recommending this to all my clients. Thank you very much!

  4. Deb Lee says:

    +1 for the “never knew about this” crew. DC Metro areas do not participate but it’s a great idea for states that do. Super helpful. Thanks for sharing, Julie.

  5. Oddly enough, I missed this when you published it because my husband was in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at the time. Fortunately, he was at home when it happened and I knew where he kept his meds list so I was able to give a copy to the paramedics. He now has a Medic Alert necklace which gives me some assurance when he’s out and about but this program sounds WAY better. Too bad we don’t have it in Canada!

  6. Julie Bestry says:

    Janet, I’m sorry you and your husband had to go through that, but I’m glad you both came through on the other side and that you were both so well prepared. I wonder if there’s some kind of program in Canada that is similar? Ours is widely unknown, so you never know!

  7. Olive Wagar says:

    Thanks for sharing such vital information, Julie! And I love the LEGO EMT!!

Leave a Reply