Measure
Would Provide First Responders with Critical
On-Scene Health Information in First
Minutes after a Car Crash
(TRENTON) – Legislation Assemblywoman Bonnie
Watson Coleman sponsored to create a “Yellow Dot Program” in New Jersey was approved
56-17-1 during Monday’s Assembly session.
The bill (A-2037/S71) would establish
a “Yellow Dot Program” within the state Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC). The
program would provide first responders with critical health information about
drivers who elect to participate, so that the on-scene medical help can better
tailor their treatments when the patients are unable to speak or are otherwise
unresponsive.
“The first minutes following a
life-threatening car accident are crucial, doubly so when the crash involves
someone with unique medical needs,” said Watson Coleman (D-Mercer). “Having a
standard notification system – a yellow dot – that alerts first responders to
critical medical information about the accident victims can spell the difference
between life and death.”
Under the bill, program participants
would be given a yellow decal, to be placed on the rear driver side rear window;
a health information card that would contain a recent photo of the participant,
the participant’s name, emergency contact information, physicians’ names and
contact information, medical conditions, recent surgeries, allergies,
medications and any other medically relevant information; a yellow storage
envelope, to be placed in the participant’s glove box; and any program
instructions.
Interested parties would be able to
obtain program materials from a MVC facility, a municipal police department or a
State Police station. The MVC would be allowed to charge a nominal fee to
applicants to cover the cost of the program materials and
implementation.
“Treating victims at the scene of an
accident can be difficult because their medical history and medication conflicts
are not known to first responders on the scene,” said Watson Coleman. “Creating
a notification system to alert EMTs and paramedics that the information is
available on scene saves valuable time that would otherwise have to be used
chasing down a victim’s medical history.”
It now heads to Governor for further
consideration.
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