Luban Wants to Bring Operation Blue Angel to Woodbridge's Senior Citizens to Save Lives

When Bette Davis once said, "Getting old isn't for sissies," she might have been thinking about the hardships faced by the elderly and disabled who live alone, and who fear that if they are rendered unconscious or unable to call for help, there will be no way for anyone to reach them.

Councilman Bob Luban came up with an idea that can give this vulnerable population in the township some peace of mind, as well as save lives. A small lockbox, such as the type used by realtors when showing a house, would be installed at the home of the elderly, and with a combination known only to police and the homeowner, a rescuer could retrieve a key in the box, enter the house and check to make sure the senior citizen is okay.

Luban first got wind of the program, begun in Franklin Township and called Operation Blue Angel, and he was impressed by the results.

"This is an excellent program that has already saved the lives of two senior citizens there," Luban after he presented the idea at Tuesday night's council meeting. "It's safe, it is very cost-effective, and it can relieve our seniors and disabled of the fear that they will be injured and unable to call for help."

The steel lockboxes are small - about 2 inches by 5 inches, Luban said - and cost about $15 each. He proposed that Woodbridge pay for them the same way Franklin has, by using drug forfeiture money, so the entire program wouldn't cost the township a dime.

"These are hard economic times. There isn't money to spare for frills, but this isn't a frill at all. It's a bonus that money recouped from drug dealers can be responsibly spent to save the lives of some of our most vulnerable citizens," Luban said. "This is simply the right thing to do. There is no downside to it, and a ton of good that can come from it."

The program, as it's practiced in Franklin, is open to seniors 55 and older who are alone for at least part of the day, and for those who are disabled or who have a medical condition that might make them incapable of calling for help.

According to the latest census, about 22 percent of the township's population is 55 or older. Of that number, more than 13 percent are over age 65. Households headed by seniors age 65 and over who live alone comprises 9 percent of all households in the township. That is 3,123 people - all of whom may be potential customers for the Operation Blue Angel program.

But if there is a problem reaching a senior, why don't the police just break down the door?

"Because sometimes, thankfully, the person in the home isn't injured. They might just be out for the day and didn't tell anyone. There is no way to know until police gain access," Luban said.

He pointed out "the huge dollar cost involved in the damage done to a home when emergency services personnel have to break in. Senior citizens are often on a fixed income, and every dollar counts. This kind of damage to a house, when it turns out to be unnecessary, can be a real financial hardship to them."

Another benefit of the program the way Franklin does it is that members fill out a medical form with the details of their condition and medications they may be taking. The form is placed in a pouch that is attached by magnets to the refrigerator. That way, if the program member is unconscious when EMS officials get inside the house, they will have important medical information at hand to treat the patient.

Luban said he has done a lot of investigating with the Franklin police program, including talking to the program's founder, Sgt. Philip Rizzo. The councilman is determined that the program be fast tracked.

The Colonia Fire Department, he said, has expressed a keen interest in the program.

"I have a fairly large number of senior citizens in my ward," said Luban, who represents the Colonia section of Woodbridge. "The sooner this is put in place, the quicker we can start saving lives, and giving our most vulnerable citizens the peace of mind they deserve."