New technology that aims to help locate missing friends and family faster is coming to Vancouver.
The Vancouver Police Department, who will be partnering with MedicAlert, made the announcement Tuesday afternoon, making them the first law enforcement branch in Western Canada to take advantage of the new technology.
MedicAlert develops bracelets that hold vital information on the well-being of a person should they be separated from friends or family.
The new partnership will allow the VPD to have access to MedicAlert’s client information and provide first responders with valuable health-related details, which include photos, possible medical conditions, and any triggers the person may have.
“Information provided to the officers will potentially speed up the process of locating people who are lost,” VPD Chief Adam Palmer said. ” We can return them to their families as quickly as possible.”
MedicAlert CEO Robert Ridge echoed Palmer’s comments saying he finds it important to give police 24/7 access to information that will help officers and the public.
Palmer also announced the VPD will sponsor the first 100 new MedicAlert subscribers, which includes their first-year service plan and MedicAlert ID bracelet for free, at the Pacific Autism Family Centre on Feb. 1 and Oakridge Mall on Feb. 2.