WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange Police Department and the West Orange Fire Department, in partnership with the town’s Department of Senior Services and the West Orange Age-Friendly initiative, have announced a new program for the senior and medically disabled community. Operation Blue Angel is designed to provide additional peace of mind for the West Orange senior community in the event of an emergency.
Operation Blue Angel is a voluntary program to assist West Orange residents at risk of a medical or life-threatening emergency in which the resident is home alone and unable to open the front door for help. The program allows police, fire and emergency medical services to gain entry into the home in the event of a medical emergency without unnecessary delays and without expensive damage to windows or doors.
Participants in Operation Blue Angel are provided with a free and secured lockbox, which is affixed near the front entrance to the home. A key to the resident’s home is securely stored in the lockbox and the access code is placed on file with the WOPD. In the event of an emergency, a WOPD police officer will use the confidential passcode to get the key, then accompany medical personnel into the home.
Operation Blue Angel is made possible by funding from the Partners for Health Foundation and is free of cost to eligible community members.
To be eligible to enroll in Operation Blue Angel, West Orange residents should meet the following criteria:
- Must be 55 years or older or have a medical condition that could lead to incapacitation.
- Must live alone or be alone for extended periods of time on a regular basis.
- Must complete the Operation Blue Angel application and the liability waiver forms.
- Must designate an emergency contact person.
The access code to the lockbox will be available only to West Orange Police Department first responder personnel. The lockbox code will not be transmitted over the airwaves to avoid unauthorized persons from hearing the code. The lockbox remains the property of the township of West Orange and must be returned if the participant moves or relocates from the township or otherwise leaves the program.
To obtain an application for Operation Blue Angel, contact Officer Frank Romayo of the WOPD’s Community Service Unit at 973-325-4038 or fromayo@wopd.org.
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