The Culver City Fire Department and Culver City Senior Center are encouraging all area residents to take part in the new the Vial of Life program. This program is meant to ensure that if someone is unable to communicate during an emergency, their medical history and information will still be easily accessible to First Responders.
The Vial of Life Program is essentially an information kit that hangs on your refrigerator and contains all information necessary for paramedics to provide you with the best possible care. LIFE is an acronym and stands for Lifesaving Information For Emergencies.
A division of the Bridge Building Foundation—a public charity—started the Vial of Life project. They provide free Vial of Life kits containing blank medical information forms that can be printed directly from their website. Forms can also be filled out directly on their website and printed. Vial of Life members can save their information online or forms can be filled out as a “guest” with no data being retained after the form is printed.
Culver City Real Estate area residents can pick up kits in person however. Martin Feinberg, Realtor, notes that kits are available for pick up at the Culver City Senior Center at 4095 Overland Ave (20 minute parking is limited but additional parking across the street) or at City Hall, 3rdFloor, Fire Administration at 9770 Culver Blvd (call ahead at 310-253-6700 prior to pick up).
The Vial of Life kit picked up at either location will include:
- One Vial of Life Information Form– complete this form with as much information as you want our paramedics to know in case of an emergency. You can complete and print additional forms online.
One plastic baggie – fold your completed form and any other documents (e.g., EKG, DNR, etc.) and place them in the baggie.- One red Culver City Fire Department refrigerator magnet – use this to hold the baggie with medical documents onto your refrigerator at eye level.
- Two Vial of Life decals – one decal goes on the baggie; the other decal goes on your front door at eye level.
For questions about the Vial of Life program, call Barbara Silverstein at the Culver City Senior Center (310-253-6700) or call the Fire Administration at 310-253-5900.
