Last week at the Essex Senior Center on Pickering Street, a group of local residents learned about a new project in town called “Silver Alert.”
The informational program was presented by Board of Health Administrator Erin Kirchner and intern Michaela Sullivan, who spearheaded the Silver Alert as a public safety program between Essex Public Safety offices, Public Health, and the Council on Aging to support residents with cognitive decline. This opt-in program will provide emergency personnel with vital information about potential “at-risk” residents in town to help reduce the response time in case they wander off.
The goal of this initiative is to build and maintain a database of Essex residents with cognitive impairments that have a history or potential of getting lost, said Police Sergeant Daniel Bruce.
During the meeting, Michaela Sullivan explained her interest in the issue stemmed from personal experience.
She said that in 2014, her grandfather showed early signs of cognitive decline, but hadn’t been officially diagnosed yet and was still permitted to drive.
He went missing for almost three days until he was identified in a parking lot located several towns away. It was a challenging time for Michaela and her family.
Because of the Silver Alert that was issued by emergency responders, the people who found him were able to recognize that he was lost and notify local authorities.
“The community’s kindness truly inspired me and I hope to help other families find their loved ones in situations like my grandfather’s,” she said. In case of an emergency in Essex, the data submitted in the forms will be broadcast to other police departments, said Essex Chief of Police Paul Francis.
Additionally, if a welfare call is made on a person who seems cognitive but has been enlisted in the Silver Alert Program, officers might stay longer, ask more questions, and alert the resident’s family members and emergency contacts, he said.
“It’s about keeping people safe and providing us with as much information as possible so we can act quicker,” said Chief Francis.
The board that designed and is implementing this program will be hosting another informational session at “Back To School Night” at the Essex Elementary School, said Kirchner.
This meeting would be for families with kids who have the potential of wandering off from the elementary school grounds.
By doing so, this program protects members of the community with cognitive disabilities regardless of age.
This week at Essex Board of Selectmen meeting, TOHP Burnham Public Library Director Carla Christensen said the library would also be a source of public information on Silver Alert program for residents.
Forms are currently available at the Essex Town Library and Senior Center. Both locations are equipped with secure drop boxes, or forms can also be left in the Board of Health office during business hours.
Applicants are not required to fill out every part of the form, only the information they want to share. There are no medical requirements or diagnoses required to fill out and submit the form, nor do they have to have wandered off before, said Chief Francis.
Some people are able to hold a conversation and report that they are well when they actually have cognitive issues.
Because of this, it’s important to keep your local authorities and community aware so they are better equipped to assist if an unexpected accident occurs.
Kirchner and Sullivan said that with the Silver Alert Program, the Town of Essex will be more prepared for such mishaps and will therefore be more secure as a community.
