The Region 5 Adult Mental Health Initiative has teamed up with Central Minnesota law enforcement agencies to launch a new app that is designed to improve interactions between law enforcement and people living with invisible and visible conditions and disabilities.

The Vitals First Responder App provides law enforcement and first responders with crucial information about vulnerable individuals. The goal of the app is to increase the effectiveness of responses and to create safe and successful resolutions. Vitals enrollees or their family members voluntarily sign up for the app and provide individualized information that first responders can use.

“How it works is each user has a beacon. It can be on a bracelet or some other device that they have on their person and when we get within approximately 80 feet, we’re alerted on our smartphone that we’re with a person that might have something that they wanted to make us aware,” said Crow Wing County Sheriff Scott Goddard. “Could be, say, an elderly person that has Alzheimer’s disease. It could be a young child with health conditions.”

The Vitals App was made possible through and implemented by Crow Wing County Community Services. The Vitals App is free for community members to use and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play.

By — Rachel Johnson

Lakeland News Lead Reporter