Premise alerts give first responders critical information when answering emergency calls, making wellness checks

First responders arriving on-scene with as much information as possible of what to expect tends to lead to better outcomes and safer interactions with the public, according to leaders at the New Lenox Police Department and the New Lenox Fire Protection District.

One of the ways they can have extra information available is the Premise Alert Program, authorized statewide by the 2009 Illinois Premise Alert Program Act, and in use in the New Lenox area for more than eight years.

“People can choose to give us information that will help us respond to a call,” said Marisa Schrieber, Fire and Life Safety educator for the New Lenox Fire Protection District. “It makes us aware of special situations, so we’re more prepared for what we will find on arrival.”

“I think, most important to any situation, the more information you have going in, the better you can make decisions,” said Deputy Chief Micah Nuesse of the New Lenox Police Department. “For instance, if we know there’s a special-needs individual, it helps our officers get into a proper mindset. It’s really helpful, if there’s not a criminal aspect to the call, for a wellness visit, or someone on the autism spectrum, we’re ready to treat them better, because we know, somewhat, what to expect before we get there.”

 Likewise, knowledge via the PAP of what to expect in a home can save lives when responding to a fire.

“If someone needs special assistance in moving, if they need a lift (to get between floors), it allows us to plan ahead for how to respond when we arrive,” said Dan Turner, deputy chief of the New Lenox Fire Protection District. “Some people might have special medical equipment, like oxygen, in the house, or have turned the living room into an at-home hospital room.”

He noted that oxygen canisters can explode  in a fire.

PAP information also helps prepare responders for wellness checks.

“If we’re out for a well-being visit and they have a (service) animal, it’s good to know, because these animals are trained to protect their people, so we want to be prepared,” Turner said.

That added level of preparedness extends to businesses, schools and other structures.

“It can tell us where the Knox Box — where the keys are stored — is to get in, for several operational needs, like where the business alarm is, there are different categories,” Nuesse said. “They can give a school diagram, see the school layout, before they get there. Say the fire department has a medical call on the second floor, they can see the best way there.”

Nuesse said the alerts can help keep track of previous visits. “Every bit of information helps us do a better job.”

“When a call comes into the Laraway Communications Center, they see any information that’s been entered for that address, and can pass that along,” Schrieber said. “Those few extra minutes of preparation, before arriving, can make a real difference.”

New Lenox residents may enroll in the program free by completing the Illinois Premise Alert Program Enrollment Form at newlenox.net/pview.aspx?id=29052&catID=528 or by calling 815-463-4500 and asking to enroll in the Premise Alert Program.

This article originally ran on nwitimes.com.