Dayton fire Chief Mike Rice said a fire department EMT will do daily check-ins with community members from Monday to Friday to make sure they are safe.
An automated system will call or text enrollees to check on them. Responses will be recorded electronically.
The EMT will go out into the field to do wellness checks if there is no response.
The EMT will do home visits to make sure community members are living in a safe environment and determine if they need smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, Rice said. The program goes live Aug. 18.
Rice said the fire department studied and adopted some of the best practices from similar kinds of programs around the nation. But he said Dayton’s program will be more robust.
“This is open to any city of Dayton resident,” he said.
Local communities that have programs that are meant to help keep seniors safe include Huber Heights (the HomeSafe program) and Kettering (the Safe Senior program).
Rice said EMS crews regularly encounter and help people who have fallen in their homes and who were not physically able to reach out for help. More than one in four people 65 and older fall each year, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Seniors “may fall and they may lay in their home multiple days until someone notices the mail pile up,” Rice said. “This allows us to interact much sooner.”
Stephen Post, vice president of Dayton Firefighters Local 136, said senior citizens often want to maintain their independence but many live alone and they have mobility challenges. He said engagement by the fire department will be more than a courtesy — it will be a lifeline.
“Through this program, we will not only reduce risk, we’ll build trust and emphasize safety,” he said. “This outreach program will build relationships that hopefully will bridge gaps in care and extend independence.”
Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. said no one in the community should feel alone.
“The Senior Safe program brings connections, safety and peace of mind both to our seniors and those who love them as well,” he said.
Officials encourage family members to enroll their elderly loved ones. People can register by visiting daytonohio.gov/SeniorSafe or by calling 937-333-5555.
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