L to R: back row: Police Chief Russ Atstupenas, Town Administrator Ken Bianchi, Council on Aging Director Karen Albright, Fire Chief Michael Sweeney, front row: Selectman Constance Perrault, Assistant Deputy Superintendent Michael Moore, and Selectman Margo Bik. 

KEEPING SENIORS SAFE: SHERIFF GLODIS BRINGS

WORCESTER COUNTY TRIAD TO BLACKSTONE

 

Blackstone - Joined by Police Chief Russ Atstupenas, Fire Chief Michael Sweeney and Council on Aging Director Karen Albright, Worcester County Sheriff Guy Glodis today announced the formation of a new senior citizen safety organization in Blackstone. 

 

Part of the Worcester County TRIAD program, the newly formed Blackstone Seniors And Lawmen Together (SALT) Council is a joint partnership between the Blackstone Police Department, Council on Aging, and Worcester County Sheriff’s Office that is responsible for identifying and addressing senior citizen safety concerns in town. 

 

 “We created this partnership as a streamlined, comprehensive resource, offering seniors direct access to those who work on a daily basis to provide public safety information and services,” Sheriff Glodis stated. “By pooling our resources, we can more directly implement programs that will benefit Blackstone’s senior citizens.”

 

The first two programs announced by the Blackstone SALT Council are a 911 cell phone bank program, and use of the new iris scan recognition system.  Through the collection and repair of discarded and unused cell phones, the SALT Council will soon be able to distribute free cell phones, with chargers, to senior citizens to be used in case of emergency.  State law requires all phones, regardless if they have a carrier or not, to have 911 access.  The iris scanner is a new device, operated by the Sheriff’s Office, that allows local seniors to have their eyes scanned, to be entered into a national database.  In the event of an emergency, or if the senior becomes lost or disoriented, their eyes can be re-scanned, and first responders will have access to all of their demographic and emergency contact information.

 

Blackstone Town Administrator Ken Bianchi commented: “As the population of the Blackstone Community continues to age, we as the providers of public safety and law enforcement must develop cooperative strategies to keep our senior citizens safe. The TRIAD program offered by Sheriff Glodis is one way we can all work together to keep the Town of Blackstone safe for our senior citizens. We feel that the TRIAD program will bring together a partnership between the community and the senior citizens. By working together with local police, fire department personnel and on-call public safety providers, with programs such as a neighborhood watch, 911 cell phones and the file of life program, which all provide life saving information to ambulance personnel when time is critical. We can stop a crime and save lives. The Town of Blackstone would like to thank Sheriff Glodis, his TRIAD program and his staff's commitment towards public safety. “

 

The Blackstone SALT Council joins ten other towns as part of the Worcester County TRIAD system.