PINE BLUFF -- When Randy Jenkins' elderly mother fell last year, he didn't find out until more than 24 hours later.
His mother lost consciousness after stumbling over some rocks and hitting her head on the ground outside her Pine Bluff home. Neither her neighbors nor the paramedics knew how to contact a family member.
"I was devastated, but my mom couldn't tell anyone who her next of kin was ... I live in Dallas, and she lives alone," Jenkins said.
"Thank God she recovered, but I wasn't able to be there for her right away because I didn't know what had happened."
The Pine Bluff Police Department is working to ensure that similar scenarios don't happen again.
The department has recently created an emergency contact database that stores information for residents' next of kin or whomever they wish to be notified in case they are incapacitated.
The voluntary program is free and was created as a community outreach tool, said Sgt. David De Foor, a spokesman for the Pine Bluff Police Department.
"A lot of times, especially with automobile accidents, we have no way of knowing who to contact right away," De Foor said. "This gives us a much quicker response in letting loved ones know what happened. Otherwise, we would have to spend a lot of time trying to track down who to contact."
De Foor said he didn't have exact numbers on how many people have given their information to the department so far.
Susan Trailor of Pine Bluff said she faced a situation similar to Jenkins' about two years ago, when her elderly brother was in a car accident and knocked unconscious for several days.
Trailor was out of town on business, and the pair have no other family members. Trailor didn't find out about the accident until her brother regained consciousness and asked a nurse to notify her.
"Had this program existed back then, it would have been a real blessing for us," Trailor said. "I am definitely going to add my brother and I to the list so that if anything like this happens again, we will know immediately."
Assistant Pine Bluff Police Chief Ivan Whitfield said that while the program is geared primarily toward the elderly, anyone may participate.
Students at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, many of whom are from out of town, are a prime example, Whitfield said.
He added that the program is part of the department's goal of being more proactive in the community.
UAPB sophomore Travis Pitts said he plans to contact police this week and put his mother's name on the list. He said he likes the idea, even though she "pretty much is making me do it. But, you know, it's all good. It's a good idea."
Anyone who wants to participate in the program is asked to mail the names and numbers of emergency contacts to the Pine Bluff Police Department, 200 E. Eighth Ave., Pine Bluff, Ark., 71601. Information may also be emailed to [email protected].
State Desk on 08/24/2015