Fairfax County Fire Rescue Wants Seniors To Keep a File of Life

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue is launching an outreach program aimed at helping  seniors get the best care should they need help from paramedics.

Firefighters and paramedics will be visiting area senior centers and other groups to tell them about the FILE OF LIFE, part of a program that recently launched as part of the department’s Safety In Our Community (SIOC) initiative.

From fire rescue:

The program aims to save lives and improve the overall quality of life of all residents, but is intended to focus on taking care of seniors and older adults. The FILE OF LIFE, a mini-medical history that is posted on a refrigerator or in a nearby visible area, is designed to better assist first responders during a medical emergency. The form enables first responders to obtain a quick medical history when the patient is unable to offer one.

The form is kept in a red plastic pocket labeled FILE OF LIFE; lists the patient’s name, emergency medical contact, medical history, medications, allergies, and other vital information. Firefighters started to push out to the community the FILE OF LIFE program on March 1, 2014, in conjunction with the Safety In Our Community (SIOC) initiative that started in June of 2013.

To download FILE OF LIFE papers, visit the Fairfax County website.