On Tuesday, July 2, 2024 the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office presented their Safe Program to attendees of AFINS bi-monthly Workshop. Officers shared the comprehensive and varied safety programs that serve Sumter County as a whole, but significantly benefit our Developmental Disabilities (DD) community and the senior parents/caregivers taking care of loved ones. Programs range from informational, helpful, and necessary for first-responders to know should they be called to your home, to tracking programs should someone wander away, to coming into your home to spot weakness in security and then suggesting solutions. These programs, and others, are free. Captain Robert Siemer heads up The Villages SAFE Program for Sumter County. Lake County and Marion County have most of these programs, as well.
We highly recommend you visit your Sheriff’s Office, or investigate their website, to learn more about these important programs. The Vial of Life Program, the Human Scent Preservation Kit Program, the Sheriff Farmer’s Safe ID Card Program, the D.R.E.A.M. Program, and the Peace of Mind Program are all something to consider for our adult children and ourselves.
County Safety Programs
Lake County Safety Program Information: www.lcso.org/seniors
Phone: (352) 343-9500
Marion County Safety Program Information: www.marionso.com/special-needs-program
Phone: (352) 369-8136
Sumter County Safety Program Information: www.sumtercountysheriff.org/services
Phone: (352) 569-1600
We also recommend you investigate these other safety programs available to all residents of The Villages.
Florida Special Needs Registry
The Florida Department of Health, in coordination with its county health departments and each local emergency management agency in the state, developed a registry for persons with special needs to register with their local emergency management agency to receive assistance during a disaster. The statewide registry provides first responders with valuable information to prepare for disasters or other emergencies. You can register for the Special Needs Registry at snr.flhealthresponse.com.
Medically Essential Program
The term “medically essential” means the electric-powered medical equipment must be operated continuously or, as circumstances require, to avoid the loss of life or immediate hospitalization of a permanent resident at the service address. If a resident at your home requires electric service to maintain life via medically essential equipment, apply for this program with your electric company. Eligibility must be renewed annually.
‼️In the event of loss of power, it is the customer’s responsibility to have a power backup system for their medical equipment, as well as an action plan for proceeding to the nearest medical facility‼️.
Duke Energy Application: www.duke-energy.com/home/billing/special-assistance/medically-essential
Phone: (800) 700-8744
SECO Energy Application: secoenergy.com/medically-necessary-service
Phone: (352) 793 -3801
Emergency Operations Centers
Visit the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) website for your county to sign up for county-specific emergency alerts/notifications on weather, shelters, hurricane preparedness and more. Create a plan today to keep your family safe in an emergency.
Lake County EOC: www.lakecountyfl.gov/emergency-management
Phone: (352) 343-9420
Marion County EOC: www.marionso.com/emergency-management/?rq=emergency
Phone: (352) 369-8100
Sumter County EOC: https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/718/Emergency-Management
Phone: (352) 689-4400
Florida Division of Emergency Management
Visit the Florida Division of Emergency Management for important information about disaster preparedness at www.floridadisaster.org.
Smart911
When you call 911 the information received by the call center may be limited based on the type of phone you are calling on. Smart911 is a free service that helps 9-1-1 protect your family by providing more information to first responders during an emergency. You provide details in advance about your household, address and visual location information, health information, and any other details that first responders should know about. The information you provide will only be seen if you ever have to call 911 and it travels with you so it will be displayed to the call taker. You can also download the free mobile app.
Registration Website: www.smart911.com
Smartphone Emergency Medical Identification (SEMID)
SEMID is another tool that allows you to store important medical information on your mobile phone and, if needed, provide easy access for emergency care teams and first responders without giving them full access to your phone.
Apple introduced Medical ID to its Health app, as its SEMID tool, on its mobile phones with iOS 8. You can now synchronize your Medical ID information on your Apple iPad and watch, and share it with family members who have mobile Apple devices.
Set up your Medical ID in the Health app: support.apple.com/en-us/105072
There are many Android models, and all differ slightly in how to set up a medical ID. You should consult the instructions for your specific make and model of Android phone to set up your Medical ID.
