Yellow Dot
Yellow Dot is a free program designed to help first responders provide life-saving medical attention during that first “golden hour” after a crash or other emergency. A Yellow Dot in the driver’s-side rear window of your vehicle will alert first responders that vital medical information is stored in the glove compartment.
The Sheriffs’ Association has distributed over 2 million free Yellow Dots to New Yorkers.
How Yellow Dot Works
The Yellow Dot kit contains a personal information card and a Yellow Dot decal.
- Complete both sides of the personal information card as fully as possible, in pencil. Attach a recent photo of yourself and place it in a visible location in your car’s glove compartment.
- Complete one card for each person who regularly occupies the vehicle.
- Place the Yellow Dot decal on the rear driver’s side window to alert first responders to look in the glove compartment for your medical information.
- Update the card annually yourself or bring it to your annual medical check-up. If you sell your car, remove the Yellow Dot sticker.
Use Yellow Dot at Home
A Yellow Dot kit can also be used to alert those who respond to an emergency in your home. Simply place a Yellow Dot decal on or beside your front door and place a completed card for each occupant in a clear plastic freezer bag and place in a visible location in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator.
Request a Yellow Dot Kit
Please note that if you request one kit, we will send you two Yellow Dot cards and two decals in the mail, one for your home and one for your car. Also, to conserve mailing costs, we ask that you please request kits in groups (eg. families, co-workers, friends, or clubs).
Operation SAFECHILD
Operation SAFECHILD is a free service administered by the Sheriffs’ Association with the technological support of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).
Using the latest digital fingerprinting technology and high resolution photography, 58 county sheriffs and other agencies around New York State produce SAFECHILD cards for parents and guardians at public events in their communities throughout the year.
What is the purpose of the program?
The main purpose of the program is to capture identifying information about your child on a SAFECHILD ID card. The information is also stored in a statewide database. The storage of this information is entirely voluntary and requires the written consent of a parent or legal guardian.
In addition to quickly providing important details to police agencies investigating child disappearances, the SAFECHILD card can be used in conjunction with the NYS AMBER Alert and Missing Child Alert programs. If a child goes missing, the SAFECHILD program allows their information to be electronically disseminated within minutes, significantly increasing the possibility of bringing a missing child home.
Where is the information stored?
The information is stored in a database at the NYS DCJS. When DCJS receives a missing child report, the fingerprints of that child are compared against all incoming fingerprints submitted to DCJS. A parent or lawful guardian can request that the information be purged from the database at any time. When a child turns 18, the fingerprints are automatically purged from the database.
How do I sign up?
For more information about how you can obtain an Operation SAFECHILD ID card for your child or to host an event in your community, please contact Mark Anderson manderson@nysheriffs.org or the local participating Operation SAFE CHILD agency in your area. Click here for a list of participating agencies.
Project Lifesaver
Project Lifesaver International is a non-profit organization that provides law enforcement and caregivers with technology designed to protect, and when necessary, quickly locate individuals with cognitive disorders who are prone to the life-threatening behavior of wandering.
Worn on the wrist or ankle, a Project Lifesaver transmitter emits an individualized frequency signal that allows first responders to locate the position of an individual if they go missing. Most individuals who wander are found within a few miles from home and Project Lifesaver technology can reduce search time from hours or days to minutes.
The New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse has partnered with Project Lifesaver to provide this tracking technology to law enforcement agencies throughout the state. The state provided nearly 600 Project Lifesaver transmitters and accompanying technology at no cost to agencies for use on children under 18 who may have autism, Down syndrome or another type of cognitive impairment.
Click here for a list of 48 participating agencies. Parents may contact their County Sheriff to see if their children are eligible for a free transmitter. Visit https://projectlifesaver.org/for more information about the program.
BuyCrash.com
BuyCrash.com is an online service offered by the Sheriffs’ Association in partnership with CrashLogic.com. This service offers online access to crash reports for accidents that occur in participating counties in New York State.
All crash reports will be available through BuyCrash.com within 72 hours of the time of the crash. Go to BuyCrash.com, select New York State and follow the simple on-screen instructions to access your accident report. You will need either the report number or your last name and the date of the accident.
For other questions or more information about BuyCrash.com please contact: Alex Wilson, awilson@nysheriffs.org
Rapid Responder
Rapid Responder is the most widely deployed all-hazards school crisis management system in the United States, protecting thousands of campuses across the country. The system is provided by Venuetize, who in addition to providing the technology, brings together all the necessary partners to build team consensus for each school’s emergency plans. The process results in an enhanced community-wide joint response to any type of emergency. Click here for more information about Rapid Responder.
