Here are the highlights from the regular Lanark County Council meeting held Wednesday, May 27.
Support for Vials of Life Program:
Council passed a motion to contribute $2,000 to the Vials of Life program. The concept is that an empty medication bottle (the vial) stores a sheet of important medical information and is kept in the fridge. In an emergency, responders know where to look for crucial information about a patient’s immediate health concerns, prescriptions and family contacts. The move comes following a presentation by Jeff Mills of The Mills Community Support Corporation and Patti Lennox of Community & Primary Healthcare (CPHC) at the community services committee of the whole meeting held earlier this month. Mr. Mills explained that Vials of Life can save lives, and pointed to an example of a person who was unable to speak when emergency responders arrived. Program partners include the Mills, CPHC and Lanark County Paramedic Service. Funds will support the costs for thousands of bottles, stickers and magnets. The program has been in place in Mississippi Mills for more than 10 years and organizers hope to expand it across the county. Once the vial kits are ready, they would be stocked at local facilities to give out to residents. For more information, contact Leslie Drynan, Deputy Clerk, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1502.
CERB T9-1-1 Service Comes to County:
Council has authorized a campaign to inform residents of Lanark County of the development of the T9-1-1 service, which provides people with hearing or speech disabilities with the opportunity to communicate to 9-1-1 services by text messaging. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has approved the service, which supports the automatic routing of 9-1-1 calls to the appropriate public safety answering point and automatically provides the caller’s contact and location information to the call answerer. Technical improvisations needed to provide T9-1-1 service have been made by wireless carriers and Central Emergency Reporting Bureau services. Rick Hannah, Lanark County emergency services coordinator, told the corporate services committee of the whole earlier this month the approved service will only be provided to hearing- or speech-impaired persons who have pre-registered for it. “Once registered, they would be able to call 9-1-1 in the traditional way by dialling the digits on their cellphones. At this point, the call would be flagged as coming from a pre-registered person with a hearing or speech impairment, and the 9-1-1 operator would respond by sending an SMS text message to the caller. The caller and operator would continue to communicate via text message.” A list of communities where the service is available in Ontario can be found at http://textwith911.ca/service-availability/ontario. Council has approved a public education program to include newspaper advertisements and radio announcements, along with inclusion in existing 9-1-1 public education programs. For more information, contact Rick Hannah, Emergency Services Coordinator, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1701.
Active Transportation Month Proclaimed:
Warden Keith Kerr (Tay Valley Reeve) has proclaimed June as Active Transportation Month in Lanark County. The proclamation supports the county’s transportation master plan, which demonstrates a commitment to creating safer roads for cyclists and motorists, as well as supporting vibrant, safe and connected communities where overall health and quality of life are enhanced through cycling. Jeff Mills and Bob Woods, co-chairs of Mississippi Mills Bicycle Month, along with Melonie Sibbitt of the Lanark County Tourism Association, spoke to councillors about promoting the county as a healthy, active place while encouraging safety of all road users. The month features the Silver Chain Challenge, which is a friendly competition between Renfrew and Lanark counties to inspire and promote active and healthy communities. Residents and visitors in both municipalities compete for the most number of kilometres biked or walked over the month of June. This is the third year Lanark County has issued the challenge to Renfrew County in partnership with the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Get involved by visiting http://www.silverchainchallenge.ca/. For more information, contact Leslie Drynan, Deputy Clerk, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1502.
Upcoming Meetings:
County Council, Wednesday, June 17, 5 p.m.; Community Services, June 17 (following County Council); Corporate Services, June 17 (following Community Services). County Council, Wednesday, June 24, 5 p.m.; Economic Development, June 24 (following County Council); Public Works, June 24 (following Economic Development). For more information, contact 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1502. Like “LanarkCounty1” on Facebook and follow “@LanarkCounty1” on Twitter!