Loudoun County has established a voluntary database that provides emergency responders with important health information, in compliance with Virginia’s Marcus-David Peters Act, which was signed into law in December 2020.
Virginia’s Marcus-David Peters Act
The law aims to provide behavioral health responses, when an individual is experiencing a crisis, related to mental health, substance abuse or developmental disability, in the US state of Virginia. The bill requires that by July 1, 2021, localities establish a voluntary database, so as to provide emergency responders with mental health and emergency contact information.
Loudoun County has achieved compliance with the database requirement with RapidSOS, an application already in use in the Loudoun County Emergency Communications Center.
RapidSOS emergency response data platform
RapidSOS is an emergency response data platform that provides 911 tele-communicators with real-time data
RapidSOS is an emergency response data platform that provides 911 tele-communicators with real-time data, for registered 911 callers. In addition to enhanced location information, through a partnership with the Emergency Health Profile Association, RapidSOS provides first responders with critical medical information, in the event of an emergency.
“At the Loudoun County Emergency Communications Center, our staff from the Loudoun County Fire, Rescue and EMS, along with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, remains committed to utilizing evolving technology, to provide excellent emergency services for our residents and visitors,” said Keith Johnson, the Fire Chief for Loudoun County Fire Rescue and EMS.
‘RapidSOS Ready’ Emergency health profile
Loudoun County residents are encouraged to get ‘RapidSOS Ready’, by creating a free emergency health profile, on the RapidSOS page of Loudoun County’s official website. When a 911 call is placed from the registered mobile device, tele-communicators can access the information in the caller’s profile, so as to alert first responders to important medical issues, behavioral health conditions, allergies, current medications, medical devices and emergency contacts, reducing the time to diagnosis, and treatment.
This information can only be accessed by public safety personnel, during a 911 call placed or text initiated from the mobile phone number that created the emergency health profile. Once an emergency health profile is created, it can be accessed by any of the nearly 4,800 agencies, located across the United States, which use RapidSOS.
Profile creators are advised to update their profiles at least once per year, after any major life/health changes, and regularly thereafter, in order to ensure that the data is accurate and timely.