Are you OK? is a computerized telephone system and it is operated FREE OF CHARGE by the Windham County Sheriff's Department. The system calls each enrolled subscriber every day of the year at the same time of day. When the subscriber picks up the phone, he or she will hear a voice saying "This is the Windham County Sheriff's Department with an Are You OK check". If the subscriber fails to answer the phone after several tries, or if there is a busy signal several times in a row, the computer immediately notifies the Sheriff's dispatcher who will send a person they have listed as a first responder, a deputy sheriff or a police officer to check on the person.

* EACH subscriber will be asked to choose an hour during which he or she prefers to be called. The calls will always be made in the same order, so people will quickly learn exactly when to expect them.

* DURING holidays or other times when the subscriber will not be available to answer the phone, a simple call to the Windham County Sheriff's Department will stop the calls for as long as necessary. You may find our Dispatch Hours are 7:00AM to 10:00PM on weekdays and 12:00PM to 8:30PM on weekends.

* EVERYONE WHO SIGNS UP FOR THE PROGRAM WILL BE ASKED TO FILL OUT A FORM. The form will ask for medical and emergency information which a Deputy may need in an emergency. This information will be totally confidential; it will be kept secured at the Sheriff's Department for use by the Sheriff's Department only.

* IF YOU wish to sign up or you know someone you think might be interested and would like to talk about it with someone, please call the Chief Dispatcher Holly Ellis at the Windham County Sheriff's Department, 802-365-4942. A dispatcher will take your name and phone number and Dispatcher Ellis will return your call as soon as possible. If you need help filling out the information form we will assist you.

* IT IS IMPORTANT to understand that Are You OK? is not intended to take the place of the Lifeline, Lifephone, or any similar services which a person is now using. In fact we urge people to use Lifeline or similar services in addition to Are You OK?

You may obtain an application by calling the Windham County Sheriff's Department at 802-365-4942 or alternately picking one up from our office located at 11 Jail Street, Newfane, VT. Brochures and applications are also located at the Windham District Court in Brattleboro

The Are You OK? program was put into operation in December of 1997. After learning about the program, Sheriff William Graham assigned Deputy Charles Lavalla to get the project started. Deputy Lavalla raised the money needed to purchase, setup, and operate the program, by obtaining grants from the Windham Foundation and the Thompson Trust. The project was then turned to Deputy Virginia Owsiak to promote and sign up interested participants. The program continues to be a success, alerting emergency services to several situations where response was necessary. With the continued support and partnership with area businesses, this program will continue to succeed into the future.

If you would like more information, please feel free to contact our office.