CAMANO ISLAND — Retired Boeing worker Barbara Libby has lived on Camano Island for 20 years. In that time, she’s collected plenty of keys from her neighbors.
“We’re fairly rural, so we do trade house keys a lot,” she said.
Neighbors are supposed to help each other during emergencies. Libby realized if something terrible happened, she wouldn’t know her neighbors’ allergies and medications, or how to contact their doctors or families. It dawned on her that the fire department must face the same issue every day.
So she did some research. Her initiative has sparked a new community safety program at Camano Island Fire and Rescue. People who live on the island now can get a free kit to keep emergency medical information handy in their home.
To participate, they fill out the provided forms, then stick them into a handy cardboard tube. The kits were designed to stay in the refrigerator, where they’re easy to find and still out of the way.
“You can stand it up where the ketchup goes,” Libby said.
All first responders on the island know to look for a sticker near the front door that signifies there’s a kit in the house.
She and her friend, Karen Gates, both are members in a fire department ladies auxiliary group. They created the form together, adding a category for pets. They considered online options and smartphone applications, but the island’s average residents are in their 50s.
“We really looked at what the community needed and what people needed,” Gates said.
Folks who sign up will be reminded to make plans for emergencies, including how others can contact relatives and care for pets, Libby said.
“If you haven’t had this conversation with anybody, this form should certainly prompt you,” she said.
The program is designed for everyone, whether it’s families who have babysitters or those facing end-of-life. “Do not resuscitate” orders, electrocardiogram charts and similar documents can go into the kit, Libby said.
Assistant Fire Chief Levon Yengoyan believes the kits will help firefighters and medics make lifesaving decisions. “It’s been a real community effort,” he said.
It is common for people suffering a medical problem to be unable to speak, and they often face a barrage of questions from those wanting to ease their pain, he said.
First responders need “anything that can help give us clues as to what may be wrong with you,” he said.
Libby and Gates helped raise $2,000 for the program from community groups and the firefighters union. The fire department is matching the donations. Two distribution events are planned later this month. Each kit cost less than $1 to put together, with volunteers hosting assembly work parties. They now have 4,000 kits ready to go, with the aim of reaching at least half the homes on the island, Yengoyan said.
The forms also will be posted online for printing. That should make it easier to file one in the kit for every family member.
Libby says her idea ended up being “doable almost at the ‘duh’ level.”
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
Free kits
Camano Island Fire and Rescue plans two events to distribute free Emergency Medical Information kits for people who live on the island.
The events are planned from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at any fire station on the island. For more information, call 360-387-1512 or go to camanofire.com/resources/emi-program.
The kits are designed for families to keep important medical information in a safe place in case of emergencies. The kits should be updated at least once a year. The fire department recommends doing that around daylight saving time, which is also when you’re supposed to check your smoke alarms. The events are planned from noon to 4 p.m. May 14 and 15 at any fire station on the island. For more information, call 360-387-1512 or go to camanofire.com/resources/emi-program.
The kits are designed for families to keep important medical information in a safe place in case of emergencies. The kits should be updated at least once a year. The fire department recommends doing that around daylight-saving time, which is also when you’re supposed to check your smoke alarms.
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