Seeing a yellow dot in Maine? Yellow Dot is a nationwide emergency responder alert system that made its way to Maine this year, starting in Cumberland County. It’s designed to help car accident victims communicate with emergency personnel, even when they’re unconscious. The first hour after a person is injured is the Golden Hour, when care decisions have a lot of impact and have to be made quickly. When emergency responders have medical information at hand, it saves time and lives.
The Yellow Dot in Maine program is simple. People get a paper card at a registration site. (or print out the card) fill it in, put a recent photo on it, and put it in the glove compartment. They put the Yellow Dot on their driver’s side passenger window, and first responders know to look in the glove compartment for important medical details about the car’s occupants. Everyone who regularly drives or rides in that vehicle should have their own Yellow Dot card.
Ted Hatch, an officer with the Gorham Police Department, is working with other departments to introduce the program to Cumberland County and the rest of Maine. He was quoted about the program In a recent Scarborough Leader article. “It is not just for seniors, although seniors are targeted with this,” said Hatch, a resident of Scarborough. “It is estimated by 2030, 70 million 65 and over drivers will be out on the roads.”
While the Yellow Dot in Maine folder will contain important information needed in times of emergencies, Hatch is not worried about the information getting in the wrong hands. It is no different than carrying the information in a purse or wallet. “There is not any sensitive information. There is no database and the information is not logged anywhere,” Hatch said. “This is just information we need at the scene of an emergency.”
The Yellow Dot in Maine program alerts emergency providers with name, address, medical conditions, allergies, prescriptions, and emergency contact information. Recent pictures help provide identification if the accident victim is somehow unable to respond. The program is free. There are ongoing enrollment sites for Yellow Dot in Maine around Cumberland County.
Enrollment begins October 13, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., in these locations:
Gorham Public Safety Building – 270 Main Street, Gorham/Contact Officer Ted Hatch with Gorham Police at 222-1681
Westbrook Public Safety Building – 570 Main Street, Westbrook/Contact Captain Tom Roth with Westbrook Police at 854-2531
Scarborough Public Safety Building – 246 US Rt. 1, Scarborough/Contact Officer Tim Barker – 207-883-6361
Southern Maine EMS – 474 Riverside Industrial Parkway, Portland/Contact: Director Marc Minkler – 207-741-2790
Portland Fire and Police – Hadlock Field, SeaDog Stadium, Portland/Police – Lieutenant Janine Roberts, Fire Dept – Capt John Brady
Standish Public Safety – 175 Northeast Road, Route 35, Standish/Contact: Chief Brent Libby
Yarmouth Fire Department – 178 North Road, Yarmouth/Contact: Chief Michael Robitaille – 207-846-2410
Gray Fire Department – 125 Shaker Road, Gray/Contact: Chief Galen Morrison – 207-657-3931
South Portland Public Safety Building – 30 Anthorne Street, South Portland/Contact: Chief Guimond – 207-799-3314 or Contact: Officer Robert Libby – 207-799-5511 ext 7422 – robeli@southportland.org
Falmouth Police Station – 2 Marshall Drive, Falmouth/Contact: Sgt. George Savidge – 207-781-2300, Ext 5231
Norman-David Suzuki – Roosevelt Trail, Windham/Rt 302 next to Bucks Naked BBQ
Scarborough WalMart – 500 Gallery Drive, Scarborough/Contact: Mgr. Jeff Vaillancourt – 207-885-5567
Windham WalMart – 30 Landing Road, Windham/Contact: Mgr. Sherma Moody – 207-893-0603
Brunswick WalMart – 15 Tibbetts Drive, Brunswick/Contact: Mgr. Tag Martin – 207-725-0773