White: Emergency Contact Database Is Vital
CHICAGO (WBBM) -- Secretary of State Jesse White says he would like to see more Illinoisans put their names and contact information into the state's Emergency Contact Database.
As WBBM Newsradio 780's Bernie Tafoya reports, the number of people who have been doing so has slowed in recent months.
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White says 160,000 people have signed on to the emergency contact database, but only 50,000 have signed up in the last 10 months.
The program has been underway for nearly a year and a half, and it lets first responders know whom you want to be contacted in case of emergency.
"If, by chance, you are standing, and you may have a stroke or have a heart attack, or you're involved in an automobile crash, we know who you are. We're talking about the first responders," White said. "But they don't know how to get in touch with the next of kin."
White said police and other first responders have accessed the Emergency Contact Database more than 1,300 times so far.
