A special informational session regarding the New York State Sheriff Association’s Yellow Dot safety program, hosted by Assemblyman Kevin Byrne and Sen. Sue Serino, was held on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at the Putnam County Friendship Center in Putnam Valley. Attendees were treated to an educational and descriptive account of the program, which is designed to help first responders provide life-saving medical attention immediately following an accident or medical emergency, and offered the chance to join the program and get their own Yellow Dot on the spot.

The well-attended session, which featured Assemblyman Kevin Byrne, Sen. Sue Serino, Putnam County Sheriff Don Smith, and Putnam County Sheriff’s Investigator Paul Piazza, detailed exactly how the Yellow Dot program works, and also provided valuable information about additional programs offered through the sheriff’s department. Yellow Dot participants are given a circular yellow decal which, when affixed in the rear driver’s side window of a vehicle, indicates to emergency responders the presence of important medical information in the glove compartment.

“The Yellow Dot program is just one of the many ways the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department is tirelessly working to keep us safe, and if this event was any indication, our residents are more than willing to do their part in helping these brave men and women protect our community,” said Byrne. “I’d like to thank Sen. Serino, Sheriff Smith, and Investigator Piazza, along with our many hardworking community partners, for their efforts to make this event such a success.”

“The ‘Yellow Dot Program’ plays a critical role in ensuring that our first responders have an accurate picture of a person’s health when responding to the scene of a vehicular accident,” said Senator Sue Serino. “It is a simple step that we can take that truly has the power to save lives, and I thank the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department for making it possible here locally. I was proud to partner with them, and Assemblyman Byrne, to continue to raise awareness for this important initiative. It is our hope that community members of all ages will continue to participate.”

“Initiatives such as the Yellow Dot program are crucially important tools to help our team at the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department when we respond to accidents and emergencies,” said Putnam County Sheriff Don Smith. “Thank you to Assemblyman Byrne and Sen. Serino for taking an active role in promoting these programs and protecting our communities.”

In addition to the Yellow Dot program, Wednesday’s event provided information on other department initiatives through the Sheriff’s Office, including the “Are You O.K.,” program, in which a daily phone call from either a sheriff’s department staff member or an automated program checks on the well-being of each enrolled subscriber. If the recipient is unresponsive to the phone calls after several attempts, a patrol car is dispatched to check on them. Investigator Piazza also offered additional information to protect those in attendance from falling victim to various fraudulent calls and scams.

For more information on what the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department is doing to keep us safe, please visit the NYS Sheriff’s Association website.