Vial of life
Vial of Life Kits Available
If you've ever had a medical emergency in your home, you might recognize the importance of having medical information on hand and ready. Having this information available will help emergency responders understand any conditions you may have and make decisions on your care. Where should you keep this important information? Whether its on your fridge, in your wallet, on the door, or on your phone, it’s important to include important personal medical information.
Full name
Birthdate
Current medications and dosages
Allergies (list serious allergies first as well as allergies to materials the emergency responders may use such as latex)
Chronic medical conditions (such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, epilepsy)
Emergency contact names and phone numbers
*Never put your social security number on your list (it is unnecessary in an emergency and could set you up for identity theft)
So where do emergency responders usually look for information when they enter your home? Often times there is a family member or neighbor on scene that we can interview. Sometimes no one has any information. But having a plan for emergency responders to have access to your medical history and current medications is the best way to help us respond appropriately.
The first thing first responder's want to know is your list of medications. The difference between life and death when you’ve had a heart attack could be a copy of your previous EKG. When you can’t speak for yourself, when you are confused, in pain or scared, the Vial of Life can speak for you.
The Vial of Life provides people with a form to fill out with medical information. A sticker is then placed on the front door to alert responders to the presence of the "vial" in the fridge. In areas where the program is utilized by ambulance agencies or fire departments, the vial can be a good way to get information to rescuers if a person is unable to talk or bystanders do not know your history. If you are interested in obtaining a Vial of Life kit, stop by the station on Monday nights and we will be happy to provide you with one. They will also be available during the Primary Vote.
There are 4 simple steps to getting your Vial of Life kit ready. You can also save and store your Vial of Life information at VialofLife.com for easy access for changing medical and doctor information in the future.
Vial of Life Form
1. Fill out the Vial of Life form (link is at the bottom of the page). Make blank copies of this form to keep your information current or maintain and store your updated information online with us.
2. Place the decal on front of a plastic baggie
Place the form you filled out in the plastic baggie.
You may also consider placing the following items in the baggie.
Copy of EKG
Living Will or Equivalent
DNR (Do Not Resuscitate)
Recent Picture of Yourself
3. Place the baggie on refrigerator door with tape or a magnet.
4. Place the second decal on front door
Place the decal on the front door so it can easily be seen by anyone responding to an emergency.
Having some basic personal information on hand for emergency responders is important. Since emergencies are, by definition, a state of controlled chaos, your best bet is probably having your medical information in a few places, such as on your front door and on your person. If you live with an elderly person who may not be able to communicate, consider storing information on the refrigerator door with a Vial of Life or something similar.
Access to medical information is highly stressed, but there are actually only a few things emergency responders really need to begin working on you. These essentially include information on whether you have a life threatening condition, information on whether you have a condition that could appear life-threatening but is not (such as epilepsy) and information (signed by your doctor) that you are DNR if you have chosen this approach.
And remember to update your information as things change.
Click on the document below to download and print
If you've ever had a medical emergency in your home, you might recognize the importance of having medical information on hand and ready. Having this information available will help emergency responders understand any conditions you may have and make decisions on your care. Where should you keep this important information? Whether its on your fridge, in your wallet, on the door, or on your phone, it’s important to include important personal medical information.
Full name
Birthdate
Current medications and dosages
Allergies (list serious allergies first as well as allergies to materials the emergency responders may use such as latex)
Chronic medical conditions (such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, epilepsy)
Emergency contact names and phone numbers
*Never put your social security number on your list (it is unnecessary in an emergency and could set you up for identity theft)
So where do emergency responders usually look for information when they enter your home? Often times there is a family member or neighbor on scene that we can interview. Sometimes no one has any information. But having a plan for emergency responders to have access to your medical history and current medications is the best way to help us respond appropriately.
The first thing first responder's want to know is your list of medications. The difference between life and death when you’ve had a heart attack could be a copy of your previous EKG. When you can’t speak for yourself, when you are confused, in pain or scared, the Vial of Life can speak for you.
The Vial of Life provides people with a form to fill out with medical information. A sticker is then placed on the front door to alert responders to the presence of the "vial" in the fridge. In areas where the program is utilized by ambulance agencies or fire departments, the vial can be a good way to get information to rescuers if a person is unable to talk or bystanders do not know your history. If you are interested in obtaining a Vial of Life kit, stop by the station on Monday nights and we will be happy to provide you with one. They will also be available during the Primary Vote.
There are 4 simple steps to getting your Vial of Life kit ready. You can also save and store your Vial of Life information at VialofLife.com for easy access for changing medical and doctor information in the future.
Vial of Life Form
1. Fill out the Vial of Life form (link is at the bottom of the page). Make blank copies of this form to keep your information current or maintain and store your updated information online with us.
2. Place the decal on front of a plastic baggie
Place the form you filled out in the plastic baggie.
You may also consider placing the following items in the baggie.
Copy of EKG
Living Will or Equivalent
DNR (Do Not Resuscitate)
Recent Picture of Yourself
3. Place the baggie on refrigerator door with tape or a magnet.
4. Place the second decal on front door
Place the decal on the front door so it can easily be seen by anyone responding to an emergency.
Having some basic personal information on hand for emergency responders is important. Since emergencies are, by definition, a state of controlled chaos, your best bet is probably having your medical information in a few places, such as on your front door and on your person. If you live with an elderly person who may not be able to communicate, consider storing information on the refrigerator door with a Vial of Life or something similar.
Access to medical information is highly stressed, but there are actually only a few things emergency responders really need to begin working on you. These essentially include information on whether you have a life threatening condition, information on whether you have a condition that could appear life-threatening but is not (such as epilepsy) and information (signed by your doctor) that you are DNR if you have chosen this approach.
And remember to update your information as things change.
Click on the document below to download and print
| vial_of_life_form.pdf |
