West Sacramento and Winters police officers, Winters firefighters, Yolo probation officers and Yolo DA Investigators will begin using the Vitals™ App this fall
September 9, 2020 – As a District Attorney serving nearly 220,000 residents, Jeff Reisig intimately knows the challenges facing Yolo County’s residents and its law enforcement officers. He’s always been committed to increasing county-wide cooperation and has a long history of taking advantage of technology to help public servants work smarter and respond more efficiently. Reisig believes Vitals™ technology will do that and more. Most importantly, he says, the service will make everyone safer while creating more collaboration between law enforcement officers and communities they serve that are often misunderstood.
“It is important to find ways we can all work together to protect each other. With Vitals™, I believe we’ve found a platform that leverages technology, which can help create peaceful interactions with first responders and the communities they serve. By increasing communication and providing crucial information used to de-escalate responses to individuals in crisis, we create a win-win situation built on understanding,” District Attorney Reisig said.
Vitals™ participants voluntarily provide the individualized information in this cutting-edge program revolving around technological innovation. When authorized emergency service workers respond to calls regarding Vitals™ enrollees, they automatically receive important information on their smart phones to help them de-escalate or resolve a situation by providing a response catered to a person’s specific needs and vulnerabilities.
Yolo County becomes the second community in the State of California to offer Vitals™ to its public servants and residents. However, this is the first place in the nation where a district attorney is bringing the service to first responders and the community.
“We often hear first responder agencies, mental health advocates and school officials who learn about Vitals™ saying ‘why didn’t we think of that?’ When District Attorney Reisig approached us and said he wanted to help facilitate this service to the entire County of Yolo and its residents, we responded by saying ‘why didn’t we think of that?’ It is amazing to see the level of cooperation between first responders, mental health advocates, residents, and now prosecutors, in Northern California. We believe this is another big step in safeguarding adults and children with visible or invisible disabilities to receive compassionate and individualized service in every corner of Yolo County,” Vitals™ President/CEO Janeé Harteau explained.
The Folsom Police Department, on the other side of the metro area from Yolo County, was the first in the state to launch Vitals™ in January of this year.
With this pilot project, the Vitals™ service has been made available for all first responders in Yolo County, an area that covers more than 1,000 square miles between Sacramento and San Francisco.
The ultimate goal is for every public safety agency in Yolo County to embrace the new technology. This first phase of implementation includes Yolo County probation officers, police officers and firefighters from Winters, police officers from West Sacramento and Yolo County DA Investigators.
Individuals and families who believe they will benefit from the service are encouraged to sign up now at https://thevitalsapp.com/yolo-launches-vitals-app/lp/. As a part of the Yolo County Vitals launch, 100 beacons are being offered at no cost to enrollees.
The Vitals™ platform is supported by advocates and caregivers serving people with mental health, autism, Alzheimer’s and dozens of other conditions. The company has also recently been in contact with customers across the nation who are very dedicated to serving transient and homeless populations, which remain core areas of focus for Yolo County as well.
Vitals™ is now being used by more than 70 first responder agencies. Also, Vitals™ enrollees can be found in almost every single state in the U.S.
About Vitals™ Aware Services
Vitals™ works by equipping first responders with information voluntarily provided by Vitals™ enrollees. Law enforcement and other first responders download the Vitals™ First Responder app on their cellphones. The service allows a vulnerable person to register online, then wear a beacon that takes the form of a keychain, necklace, debit card or bracelet. An Android phone can also serve as the beacon. When a Vitals™ user comes within 80 feet of an officer or first responder equipped with the service, the officer will get a notification about the information provided by the enrollee and how they may best interact with them.
To learn more about Vitals™, go to https://thevitalsapp.com/yolo-launches-vitals-app/lp/.
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The first 100 families to sign up will receive a free Vitals beacon with Promo Code: YOLO2020
SIGN UP LINK: https://thevitalsapp.com/yolo-launches-vitals-app/lp/
How it works: https://youtu.be/fpZVBl3Kkkg
