Resident Alert Signs

Resident Alert Signs: The 411 for 911

By Jolene Montgomery

If first responders arrive at your home, is there critical information you would like them to have before they cross your threshold? Is there any salient intel that could inform their decisions on what comes next? After a close call at the home of a loved one, Mary Wigginton decided to create Resident Alert Signs in the hopes of helping others keep a trauma from becoming a tragedy.

What should emergency personnel know before entering your home?

When the police entered Mary's godson's home following a bad lead, they had no advance notice that there was someone with disabilities inside. The officers surrounded and entered the house with guns drawn. They held everyone at gunpoint including two children, both under five years old. A 33-year-old man was startled awake by the room light being turned on. He was a Type 1 diabetic, developmentally delayed and mostly deaf.

Mary realized that if he had reached for his hearing aid, the officers could have shot and killed him, tallying up another misunderstanding and needless tragedy.

With her background in law enforcement, Mary understood that the incident should not have gone down like it did. She also understood that this would be small consolation if someone in her family was killed.  Her solution was to create signs that people can display in the front of their homes, informing officers of what to expect inside.

The Resident Alert Signs:

• Do not violate HIPPA confidentiality
• Do not make your home a greater target for crime
• Are durable
• Are reflective
• Are building code approved

And, most importantly, they can save your life and the lives of your loved ones! Get yours at residentalertsigns.com.