ALBANY COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE

County Court House Albany, New York 12207 (518) 487-5400

WWW.ALBANYCOUNTYSHERIFF.COM

WILLIAM C. COX
UNDERSHERIFF

CRAIG D. APPLE, SR.

SHERIFF

PAUL M. COURCELLE
CHIEF DEPUTY

MICHAEL S. MONTELEONE
CHIEF DEPUTY

KERRY B. THOMPSON
CHIEF DEPUTY

Press Release January 21,2014

WOULD YOU NEED ASSISTANCE IN AN EMERGENCY? With another round of cold temperatures upon us, the Albany County Sheriffs Office thinks that it is essential that we offer programs to protect our special needs citizens of Albany County. Prepared citizens are more likely to survive, healthy and safe during an emergency. The Sheriffs Office has created a Countywide Registry for Persons In Need; for residents of Albany County. This program is designed to assist the special needs community who are physically unable or require assistance to evacuate their homes during an emergency. All information will be input into the E-911 database for retrieval during disasters. In addition to evacuation during an emergency situation, the information will be utilized for a routine distress call allowing emergency responders to instantly identify the special needs of callers from their residences. In situations like this, prior knowledge of the needs of the caller and response time could make a difference for the awareness of the responders during that crucial time. As an example how the registry can be used, we have been experiencing a polar vortex the past few days, extreme cold, because of this I had my Emergency Management Unit call the people in the registry living in the Hilltowns to make sure they were okay because of the nature of their environment. We encourage those that would require assistance to fill out an application to be included in the Albany County Sheriffs Office Special Needs Registry. The registry is voluntary. All information obtained will be utilized for emergency purposes only and is strictly confidential. Forms are available at: Online at www.albanycountysheriff.com - click on Forms By calling 518-720-8030 By visiting the Albany County Sheriffs Offices Division of Emergency Management 58 Verda Ave Clarksville NY 12041 In addition we offer the Yellow Dot Program. Yellow Dot is a free program designed to help first responders provide life-saving medical attention during that first golden hour after a crash or other emergency. A Yellow Dot in the driver's-side rear window of your vehicle will alert first responders that vital medical information is stored in the glove compartment. A Yellow Dot kit can also be used to alert those who respond to an emergency in your home. Simply place a Yellow Dot decal on or beside your front door and place a completed card for each occupant in a clear plastic freezer bag and place in a visible location in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator. To request a yellow dot kit Albanycountysheriff.com or call 518-487-5887