Bedford Fire Department Giveaway - - - Get It!

Even when someone is in overall good health, it only takes one moment in life for that status to change. And for anyone with a chronic health problem, there can be a very thin line between an acceptable status quo and a potentially life-altering or even life-ending sudden event. While we maybe able to transport ourselves to a doctor’s office or an emergency room for a mild blip to our well-being, when it comes to something more serious, the wise choice is to call for an ambulance that is staffed by trained and qualified professionals.

Here in Bedford, we’re lucky that a call for an ambulance means that we will be served by the Bedford Fire Department. Within minutes, a team of highly trained and certified professional Department members will be at our door, who are capable of assessing and treating our immediate and urgent medical needs, and completely communicating our precise condition to the staff at the nearest emergency facility, and transporting us there while simultaneously stabilizing us and preparing us for the next phase of our emergency treatment. Having been transported myself by the BFD, I can testify to the professionalism and capabilities of our Department members. But I can go further than that by saying that their demeanor and attitude not only gives you confidence that you’re in good hands, but such genuinely makes you feel that you’re receiving compassion and concern from your neighbors and friends in the process. Our firefighters are our neighbors and friends, and it shows in a situation where we or our family members may be in a state of panic or fear during the emergency. We all know that it can be pretty hard to be calm and collected during a crisis, but our ambulance teams do a phenomenal job at giving you confidence that all is under control.

When you need emergency care, a lot of questions will be asked of you while responders are assessing both the situation and your condition - - - questions that include those dealing with your basic overall health, diseases or ailments that you may have, and prescriptions that you are taking. This is all necessary and vital information. There will be times when the patient or family member may not be able to adequately answer the questions being asked. And truthfully, we can all admit that it is easy to forget some information, even when we’re levelheaded enough to be able to ourselves answer the necessary questions.

So, with their usual efficiency and attention to detail, the Bedford Fire Department has created and made available to all Bedford residents what is known as the “File of Life” (pictured above). It’s a plastic case with a magnet on the back so that it can be hung on your refrigerator. Inside is a form that you complete in which you write your age, your doctor’s name and phone number, your preferred hospital should you need to be transported to one, the names and contact info of the people whom you want notified in an emergency, your medical conditions, allergies that you may have, and the prescriptions that you’re taking, along with your pharmacy info. There’s a spot to record your blood type, your religion, info if you’ve had recent surgery, and even if you have a health care proxy, living will, a CPR directive, or a DNR form. And there’s even a place to record your health insurance information. In short, there’s a place for everything that first responders, emergency room personnel, and hospital admissions people need to know immediately when you are having a medical emergency. With it, nothing important will be missed during that critical time period when you need emergency medical care.

All of the members of the Bedford FD are trained to look for this packet on your refrigerator door. The packets have no cost, and you can obtain one simply by asking for it at the BFD. Wouldn’t you be crazy to not get one for every member of your household?

We never know when there will be an emergency in our lives. If we’re smart, we prepare in advance as much as we can.

Do yourself a favor. Stop by the Bedford Fire Department today and get a “File of Life” for every person who lives in your home. If you have an emergency, you’ll be glad that you did, and it will assist our fire department and police department personnel to help us even quicker when we’re most in need of their help.

Thanks to the Bedford Fire Department for providing us with such a neat product. And more thanks for everything else that they do!