This new program, currently in development, will provide cell phones with regular monthly airtime. If you would like more information on how you can get involved please call your 911 Cell Phone Bank representative at 866-290-7864.

Last year alone in Louisiana there were 81 fire related fatalities, 49 of those were senior citizens, which means that 40% of those fatalities were senior citizens.  It is with great desire that we can decrease that number and possibly eliminate as many fatalities as we can in Caddo Parish.

In recognizing that many senior citizens in our community need support to protect themselves from the dangers of fire, the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office has partnered with the Louisiana State Fire Marshall’s office to present “Operation Golden Shield”.  This program will be operated from the  Community Programs ‘ Elderly Crime Victims Office.   This is a program designed to place 10-year Lithium smoke detectors in any Caddo Parish senior citizen home, especially targeting those residing in rural Caddo Parish.   Along with the smoke detectors, Frankie Morris (from the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Elderly Crime Victim Advocate) will be offering 911 emergency cell phones to all seniors in need of one.  She will be presenting these phones especially to the senior citizens in rural Caddo Parish.

The program consists of a 15 – 20 minute power point presentation on Fire Prevention in the home.  After the presentation, Victim Advocate Morris will compile a list of names and addresses of those in need of a smoke detector.  Contact is made with the Representative, Rusty Edwards of the Fire Marshall’s Office.  He in turn, sends the number of smoke detectors to the Community Programs ECVA.

It is a known fact that when given smoke detectors, if seniors have no way of installing them, they usually lay around the house collecting dust and are never get installed. Working with our Auxiliary Deputies we will make contact with the senior to insure the installation of the detectors.

The first program is scheduled for July 15^th, 2010 @ Christus Schumpert’s Auditorium, 9:00am – 9:30am.  Along with  Lt. Rusty Edwards, Arson Investigator (LA State Fire Marshall’s Office) his 2^nd in Command, Chief Dan Wallace will also be in attendance. 

Our next presentation will be set up for Blanchard, then Vivian (rural towns in Caddo Parish). Dates have not been scheduled yet.

This event will be held on Tuesday, June 8, 2010 at 10:00 A.M until 12:00 P.M. at the Creative Senior Center 31 Memorial Parkway SW, Fort Walton Beach, FL.

Janine R. Harris, Community Relations Manager, Communities for a Lifetime and Gwen Rhodes, Community Relations Manager, Northwest Florida Area Agency on Aging, Inc. will Welcome you to the event and have the opening remarks.

There will be a host of speakers which will include, Joe Stein, Deputy Regional Director, Seniors vs Crime from Region 5, Dana Morris, Assistant Attorney General, Medicaid Control Fraud Unit Office of the Attorney General Office, Arthur Youngblood, Consumer Outreach & Education Coordinator, Florida Department of Financial Services – Safeguard Our Seniors Initiative, Carl Martin, Circuit 1, Operations Program Administrator, Department of Children and Families, Adult Protective Services.

You are welcome to join us during this event. For more information contact Janine Harris at harrisj@elderaffairs.org or 850-414-2373.

You are welcome to spend an evening in Tallahassee, Florida for a complimentary Wine Reception and a Silent Auction held at 6:00 p.m. Following that will be dinner and words from the keynote speaker. This event will be held on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at the FSU Alumni Center located at 1030 W. Tennessee St. Tallahassee, Florida. You may purchase your tickets at $40.00 each by contacting April Hofmeister (850-606-6116) or Michelle Johnson (850-414-3384) or via email dvcctally@gmail.com  Mon – Fri (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)

“The world now knows me as the woman without a face. I would rather be remembered as the woman who would be a survivor.” – Carolyn Thomas, 2005

We’re working together to make a difference for crime victims and their families in the City of Tallahassee. Building & Promoting Laws, Services & Public Awareness of Victims Rights…The Tallahassee Police Department’s Victim Advocacy Unit 

Please join them in their efforts to raise community awareness of crime victim services and prevention as they celebrate Crime Victims’ Rights: Fairness, Dignity & Respect. Your organization’s attendance and participation will be greatly appreciated. A table will be provided for your organization to share brochures, pamphlets, handouts etc., (at no cost). This event will allow you the opportunity to embrace the many victims that are in need of your services, while informing the community of your organization’s services. Please contact Tenna Kirk if you would like to make a reservation for your organization and request a table. Tina Kirk can be reached via email at tkirk@lancaster-tx.com .

This event is free and open to the public. Many awards and prizes will be distributed.

For additional information regarding this event, you may contact Nakeya Fincher, Crime Victim Assistance Coordinator at 972-218-2751 or email her at nfincher@lancaster-tx.com.

I was able to attend multiple workshops. Some of them were refresher courses and some of them shared information that just astonished me. Above all, the two workshops that renew themselves in my mind daily are; “Creating a Successful State Triad” and “What is Triad? How Can We Enhance It?” I honestly ask myself daily, “why wouldn’t any state, county or community want to have a Triad?” It is a must, and it should be mandatory. As long as we have con-artists, scammers, abusers, thieves, dealer of all sorts, our seniors and communities need protection. If we cannot set aside an hour or two each month or day then shame on us. We will all be seniors/elders one day, (if the good Lord spares us to see those years) and we are going to want to have someone to look after and care for us. Your welfare is just as important as a strangers. That stranger may be your co-worker’s mother or father that is being abused. We need to get more involved and do our part while we can.

In my closing I have to say, I truly enjoyed talking to all of you and being able to answer all of your questions. I especially enjoyed the one on one conversations I had with some of my account representatives such as, Cindy Brown-MD, Kelli Brookshire-OK, Katie Walsh-IL, Sheriff Vanessa Crawford-VA, David Minns-VA, Cary Johnson–CO, Dale Gillette–IL, and of course Mrs. Butterworth-VA. They all really expressed an enormous concern for the seniors and you could feel the warmth within each of them and that’s what it takes. You all are appreciated, thank you for making the conference a success.

You are welcomed to join Triad Practitioners, Law Enforcement Personnel, Community Policing and Crime Prevention Officers, Victim Advocates, Social Service Providers, Adult Protection, and Criminal Justice professionals to learn how to keep older adults safe.

Workshop Topics Include:

• Pandemic Preparedness for Older Adults (Influenza H1N1)

• Aces 911 Cell Phone Bank & 911 Cell Phone Bank

• Helping Older Adults to Understand and Manage their Medications Safely

• Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers

• 10 Minutes or Less – Speaking Success

• Starting and Maintaining a Strong Triad

• Successful Triad Programs & Activities

 Registration Forms are available at: www.nationaltriad.org/Orlando09/ . Please direct your questions to Terri Hicks at terrih@sheriffs.org or 800-424-7827. For hotel reservations call: 800.327.0363

Here’s what Christine Mouton, Coordinator of the Victim Services program at the University of Central Florida, has to say about our program. “UCF Victim Services is proud to be a part of the 911 Cell Phone Bank program. This program has provided UCF victims with valuable resources that we would be unable to deliver without your support. the 911 Cell Phone Bank allows us to generate support for our victims through the discarding of used cell phones. Students, Faculty and Staff at UCF continue to support Victim Services through this  “green” initiative and for each year that we have been a part of your program we have been able to expand our ability to collect cell phones that generate the financial resources to support our victims.  We appreciate everyone at the 911 cell phone bank, you are very responsive to our needs and we look forward to continuing our relationship with your program for many years.”

Thank you for the kind words Christine and we look forward to many more years as well!

Congratulations to the May contest winner UCF Victim Services. The crew there collected over 250 cell phones during the month of May. Program coordinator Christine Mouton, has been a huge supporter of ours since the beginning. Enjoy Buca di BEPPO!

We also want to thank Vanessa Venable the Sales Manager at Buca di Beppo who made this generous gift possible.

There are many companies that collect cell phones to benefit seniors and victims. Most are reputable, some are questionable, and at least one State has banned one from doing business.

Oregon Attorney General John Kroger announced a settlement with Secure the Call, a Maryland-based company that claimed to be associated with local law enforcement and asked people to donate cell phones for domestic violence victims. Secure the Call can no longer operate in Oregon under the settlement reached with the Department of Justice.

Secure the Call allegedly misrepresented its non-profit status while soliciting cell phone donations by fax and drop boxes in supermarkets. An investigation by the Department of Justice found no evidence that Secure the Call was associated with any local law enforcement agencies or that the cell phones ever reached domestic violence victims.

Read more at KTVZ.com.