West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minn.
WILLMAR — Law enforcement and emergency medical technicians in Kandiyohi County and Willmar will begin using the Vitals App next month as a way to improve interactions between first responders and people living with visible and invisible conditions and disabilities.
According to a news release announcing the initiative, the Vitals first responder app is a non-intrusive, real-time resource developed as a way to enhance policing and give individuals with various conditions and their families more peace of mind.
The free service can be downloaded in the Apple and Google Play stores by individuals and caregivers. The most common conditions and disabilities for which it is currently being used include anxiety, traumatic brain injury, autism, dementia, PTSD, diabetes, epilepsy, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and developmental, behavioral and intellectual disabilities.
A total of 91 area first responders -- 35 Kandiyohi County sheriff’s deputies, 26 Willmar police officers and 30 Willmar EMTs -- will be trained to use the app.
With this launch, the Willmar Ambulance Service, a division of Carris Health, becomes the first EMS agency in Minnesota to utilize the Vitals App, the news release said. All six Willmar EMS vehicles will be equipped with iPads set up to receive the signal when they approach a potential patient.
Introduction of the app was promoted locally by Willmar resident Paula Bredberg, whose adult son had a difficult encounter with law enforcement a few years ago.
Wanting to prevent such an incident from happening to others, Bredberg took the initiative to introduce the Vitals App to the Sheriff’s Office, Police Department, United Way, Rotary Club and the Willmar Area Community Foundation.
With the help of the United Way of West Central Minnesota, the local organizations partnered to raise seed money to expedite the launch of Vitals, so the service could be made available as soon as possible rather than waiting until the 2019 fiscal year.
The Kandiyohi County Attorney’s Office also got involved by contributing money from the confiscated vehicle sales fund which is earmarked to support community safety programs.
Vitals Aware Services, a Twin Cities-based tech company, was founded in 2017. Kandiyohi County and Willmar are the 30th public safety agency to use the Vitals App.
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(c)2018 West Central Tribune (Willmar, Minn.)