May 16, 2004

Central Point police officer Brian Day displays a seat belt ID pouch that he and a partner developed to help emergency personnel identify potential problems in treating accident victims. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli

Just the facts — fast

Officer, former EMT team to create easy to access health checklist

One of the first things emergency workers do when they encounter a person injured in an automobile accident is unbuckle the victim’s seat belt and try to figure out their identity to determine appropriate medical treatment.

Central Point police officer Brian Day knows this, and says a new tool developed by him and a former emergency medical technician can greatly reduce delays in treating people injured in car wrecks — and might prove a life-saver.

Day and John Mulry have sold about 4,000 of their Rescue Facts information packets in just two months.

Rescue Facts includes a bright-red cloth folder designed to wrap around a seat belt. A medical-information card fits inside, with room to list a person’s emergency contacts, medical conditions, blood type, allergies and much more.

"I’ve seen roll-over accidents where you can’t find anything in a car," said Day. "The way this sits, it’s hard to miss. It’s something a first-responder can whip out and put on a clipboard." At the scene of an accident, Day said police and medical workers often find themselves digging through a person’s wallet, purse or glove box for information that can help them get quick treatment to a crash victim.

Some people have medical bracelets, while others write down pertinent medical information and place it inside a container in a vehicle’s glove box. Day said Rescue Facts can hold more information than a bracelet, and is far easier to locate than a glove-box container.

"Everybody that sees it thinks it’s a great idea," he said.

Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters praised Rescue Facts in a letter to Day, calling it "a revolutionary idea that will undoubtedly save lives."

While it’s designed to fit around a seat belt, Rescue Facts can also be used on backpacks, canes and walkers. Day said it could be especially helpful for people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia who walk away from care facilities. With Rescue Facts, a police officer can quickly determine the person’s identity, address and medical conditions.

There is no need for people to list insurance information, Social Security numbers or anything else that might be attractive to identity thieves, Day said.

"If this was stolen, there’s nothing on it that could come back and hurt somebody," he said.

Rescue Facts packets cost less than $10 and are being sold at several local businesses. For more information, call 665-2373 or visit www.rescuefacts.com on the Web.

Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail jmoran@mailtribune.com.