Are You OK?
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Are You Okay?®
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The Parma Heights Police Department offers a free program for the safety of our residents. Only seniors, shut-ins and disabled persons who reside in the City of Parma Heights are eligible to participate. The Are You Okay? Telephone Reassurance System was started in 1998. The program is totally free and confidential. The Are You Okay? program uses a computer that will call you at a time specified by you each day. The computer will call you and once it hears you answer the phone, it will know that you are okay. Should you have an answering machine or voice mail, the computer will ask you to push a button on your touch-tone phone in order to ascertain that you are okay. If you do not answer the phone or your line is busy, the computer will call you back within a half-hour. If you do not answer the second time, the police dispatcher will be notified and will attempt to call you and your contact relatives or friends to see if they know where you might be. If these attempts are unsuccessful, an officer will be dispatched to your home to check on you. We will also attempt to make contact with your listed key-holder so that we may enter the home to see if you are in distress.
You should know that if we cannot make contact with your listed key-holder, the officer will use any means necessary to enter your home and make sure you are not in need of help. The officer will do everything possible to minimize any damage, but some damage may occur. Every effort will be made to make sure your home is secure before the officer leaves. It is important, therefore, to make sure you keep us informed if you go on vacation, enter the hospital, or will not be home at your designated time for your daily Are You Okay? call. Just call the police station and let the dispatcher know you will not be home so we do not have to bother your emergency contacts nor enter your home needlessly.
If this program interests you, please fill out an
application and mail it to:
Parma Heights Police Dept.
Are You Okay? Program
6184 Pearl Road
Parma Heights, Ohio 44130
You are asked to provide the name and phone number of a friend or relative who lives nearby, preferably one who has a key to your residence. The information you provide will be kept in confidence at the police station. It will not be used for any other purpose or given to anyone. You are also asked to specify a time for your daily call. The computer is only capable of making calls at the top of the hour (ex. 8:00 a.m., 6:00 p.m.). The computer begins making calls at 4:00 a.m. and ends at 10:00 p.m. every day and you may choose any time you wish. Additionally, you may have more than one call a day, one call in the morning and one in the evening. If so, just list the additional time on your application.
If you have any questions, please call the Parma Heights Police Department at 440-884-1234.