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 Deputy Mark Anderson at the Windham
County Sheriff's Department, 802-365-4942.
A dispatcher will take your name and phone
number and Deputy Anderson 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.
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