NEW ULM — The Brown County Sheriff’s Office and the New Ulm Police Department are hosting an information session on Wednesday November 13, 11 a.m. at the New Ulm Fire Department, 526 8th St. N., to tell the public about the Vitals app product.

The Brown County Sheriff’s Office and the New Ulm Police Department have started using the Vitals app to create safer interactions between first responders and people living with disabilities or other conditions.

The Vitals app provides first responders with crucial information about vulnerable individuals, increasing the effectiveness of situational response and expanding the potential for safe resolutions. People enrolled in the program voluntarily provide individualized information on disabilities or conditions such as autism, dementia, mental health issues, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar, anxiety, PTSD, TBI, etc.

The registered person then wears a beacon as a keychain, necklace, debit card, bracelet or downloads the Vitals app in place of a beacon on an Android phone. When a user comes within 80 feet of an officer or first responder equipped with the service, the officer or responder will get a notification about the person’s diagnosis and how to best interact with them, such as critical information, diagnosis, de-escalation techniques, contact information, medications, care-giver information, etc.