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NM city to consider new emergency-response program

The program has been implemented in at least 22 states

Las Cruces Sun-News

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — The Yellow Dot Program, which provides emergency first responders with basic information that could prove to be life saving at a crash scene, will be discussed by the Las Cruces City Council when it meets 1 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 700 N. Main St.

The program has been implemented in at least 22 states, and helps identify medical and other noteworthy conditions of passengers in vehicles, or on motorcycles, that have been involved in an accident.

It’s not the first time implementation of the program has been suggested.

“I first brought it up several years ago, when I was a city councilor,” said Mayor Ken Miyagishima. “A few months ago, (Las Cruces resident) Jane Grider brought it back up to me and it will be coming back to the council.

“It would be a good program for the city, but it would be even better if we can get the county behind it, too. That’s what we’ll discuss on Monday.”

There would be no cost involved for program participants. The program aims at providing first responders with pertinent personal and medical information when they arrive at the scene of a crash. That information can lessen the time it takes to provide medical care for an injured person, especially if they are unconscious or otherwise unable to speak at a crash scene. The yellow dot would be placed in the lower left corner of the rear window of a vehicle, and would be used by first responders to help identify the vehicle that is enrolled in the program

Also, an accompanying folder would be placed in the vehicle’s glove box, where medical information of the driver, or passengers, might be found.

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