Making seconds count

First responders serve an important job in many communities, especially in the event of an accident. And to make their jobs a little easier, the Mountain Brook Fire Department is implementing the Yellow Dot program.

The Yellow Dot program focuses on providing vital general and medical information for first responders to use in the event of a vehicular accident. By placing a provided yellow decal on the lower corner on the driver’s side of the rear window, first responders are then trained to look in the glove compartment of the car for a corresponding yellow folder. 

In the folder are forms with identification, family contact information, allergy information, general medical information and a list of preferred hospitals, among other things said Fire Marshal Leland Rhudy.

“What it does is it actually gives the first responders an identification [when coming upon an accident],” Rhudy said. “They may not know what’s going on, but with this information, the treatment can be started accordingly.” 

Medical history and allergy information can be especially useful for first responders so they know what medications and supplies, such as latex gloves, they may or not be able to use.

All of this information is helpful when accident victims may be unresponsive or unable to communicate for themselves, too, and is especially vital during the “golden hour.”

Rhudy said the golden hour refers to a time period of one hour or less following a traumatic injury or accident. 

“It’s [the time] with the highest likelihood that medical treatment will prevent death,” he said. By providing more prompt attention focused on an individual’s needs, those injured in the accident have higher chances of recovery.

The information included in the Yellow Dot program packet can help first responders after their initial actions, as well. By including emergency contacts and general physicians information, first responders are able to alert family members and gather any additional information from previous doctors that may be useful. 

“The contact information is very important,” Rhudy said.

Listing a preferred hospital also allows patients to be treated by a facility they have been to before.

Rhudy said this program isn’t confined to the city limits of Mountain Brook, either. It’s a state-wide program, and Alabama first responders are trained to recognize the yellow dot decal and check glove compartments for the matching yellow folder.

Currently, the Mountain Brook Fire Department is one of the many locations where residents can pick up a Yellow Dot program packet, complete with all needed forms, the yellow decal and yellow folder, and officials there can help take a photo for the packet. 

Rhudy said not all family members have to be present to take a packet and families are welcome to take multiple for different drivers or different vehicles. Forms are available online, as well.

“Just medical history alone makes such a big difference when you’re treating a patient,” Rhudy said. “I feel that this is so vital because … seconds count.”