Sheriff Harris, Officer Kelly Blevins kick off Vial of Life program

July 02, 2008

Once again Sheriff Kent Harris has gone above and beyond the call of duty to insure the safety and well being of the citizens of Unicoi County. His care and concern for the elderly in the county has been a blessing to many. Some of the elderly folks have said that their regular call from the sheriff's department, checking on them to make sure they are okay, is often the only call they receive from the outside world on any given day.

By implementing his newest program geared toward the medical safety of our county's citizens, many lives may be saved through his efforts.

The day was reminiscent of a day in Mayberry as the citizens of Unicoi County laughed and joked with Sheriff Harris and Officer Kelly Blevins on Friday during the kick off of the "Vial of Life" program.

Harris and Blevins spent most of the day on Friday traveling to different meeting points throughout the county, explaining the concept of the program and distributing the vials and forms to the public.

The Beacon caught up with the pair at Erwin Housing Authority at 750 Carolina Ave. in Erwin. Several people were present to sign up for the program.

"We don't ask anyone for any personal information," Sheriff Harris explained. "We don't ask what type of medication you're taking or your medical history. Nothing about you will be put into our database. What you put on the medical forms will not be seen by us or anyone else except in the event of an emergency when the information would be needed by the responding emergency personnel. All we ask if that you sign your name on the sign-up sheet and that way we will know in advance that you are participating in the program and should you have a medical emergency the responding team will know to look for your information vial in the refrigerator."

As Sheriff Harris explained, participants are to fill out the form that is given out along with the vial. The form provides a place for all the medications they are currently taking, what type if any allergies they have, any medical condition they suffer from such as heart or lung disease, diabetes, etc. and then the paper is to be folded up and placed inside the bottle with the Vial of Live sticker on it and the bottle placed inside the refrigerator.

Harris recommended it be placed in the inside of the refrigerator door where it can be seen easily. This will save precious moments that would otherwise be spent trying to determine a person's prior medical history or locate their medications in the event of an emergency. It would also let the authorities know who to contact with the news of the emergency. This program could save the person's life if he or she was unable to talk or if they happened to be unconscious. He said it is very important for those who live alone and those with severe medical conditions and allergies to sign up for the program.

Along with the vial and the medical form the participants were given a sticker that is to be placed on the front door of the home. When emergency personnel arrive, this lets them know that they can find all the medical information in the vial inside the refrigerator.

If you or anyone you know has a medical condition, severe allergies to certain medications or other medical conditions that might be life threatening, the forms and vials are available at the Unicoi County Sheriff's Department. It is a free service and could save your life or the life of someone you love.