The Commission on Disability at its meeting Thursday night discussed a public awareness campaign with Hopkinton’s top cops that would share helpful information regarding people with disabilities with first responders.

Hopkinton Police Chief Joseph Bennett and Lt. Scott van Raalten attended the meeting and brainstormed with members how to upgrade past initiatives used by the HPD into a more comprehensive database. What evolved from their discussions was the idea of a “handle with care” initiative.

The term was used during the meeting by van Raalten to describe how officers refer to an emergency call where their may be extenuating circumstances that influence the way they approach a situation.

“When we’re reporting it over the radio, we’re not using the disability or whatever the situation is,” he explained. “The officers know that ‘handle with care’ means that there’s more to the story.”

Some examples of when this warning would be given include if there were known medical issues as well as in instances of suspected domestic violence or substance use disorder.

This term caught fire with commission members as a slogan that would simultaneously alert emergency personnel while maintaining respect for the individual.

While Bennett said people can give this information to officers when calling 911, he noted that only about half of callers to the police station use the emergency number.

Bennett explained that the department previously kept information about children who were on the autism spectrum on file in case of emergencies. He also has worked with the Hopkinton Public Schools to learn if a student is going through a traumatic situation such as a parental divorce or family illness that may affect the student’s behavior.

The department’s current form needs to be refreshed with updated terminology, he said. It would include wording such as “neurodiverse” or “people with mobility challenges.”

Commission member Nancy “Punky” Drawe has been spearheading the COD’s database campaign over the past several months and previously spoke with the police chief about it.

“We’re with you 100%,” said Bennett.

While at a meeting several weeks ago at the Senior Center, another idea was proposed to Bennett about alerting police to people who may tend to wander due to dementia. A database was discussed that would include emergency contacts, pictures and known locations where they might be found. During that meeting, the Commission on Disability’s database idea was morphed into the conversation, which caused some confusion among commission members during an Aug. 26 meeting.

As the evening progressed, the police and commission members agreed that a broader and more modern form should be developed that would encompass children and adults with all types of disabilities, older residents who may tend to wander, and other situations that may require special handling during a crisis. They envisioned an online document where people interested in providing information could click on an icon that would direct them to the relevant section of the form to complete. All information would be provided to the HPD voluntarily and shared only with first responders as situations arise.

Van Raalten stressed that a caregiver contact is extremely important to include with information provided to the department, which Bennett confirmed.

Said Bennett: “We’ve come across children at 3 o’clock in the morning and say, ‘What do we do now?’”

While contact information was retrieved and inputted into the HPD system after repeated calls, this database would have information available virtually immediately.

“It’s good work, and we’re happy to do it,” said Bennett.

Danielle Cook, the Hopkinton Public Library’s reference and technology supervisor, suggested a synthesized database at the last meeting. She agreed to create a Google document with COD chair Holly Morand over the next month. Stakeholders would be asked for input, including key personnel at the Senior Center, the School Department, the Hopkinton Housing Authority, SEPAC, the Michael Lisnow Respite Center, and assisted living facilities such as Golden Pond and Fairview Estates. Julia Chun, the town’s sustainability, economic development and equity project manager, will be asked for her input as well.

For the public to provide suggestions, individuals can email Morand at codchair@hopkintonma.gov.

Commission to partner with library on CPC grant application

Member Amy Ritterbusch talked about applying for a Community Preservation Commission grant that would improve accessibility to the library. The request would include push buttons for the front door and a railing. The need for both has arisen frequently at past meetings.

She added that she spoke with Dave Daltorio, the town engineer, who said he would provide cost estimates for the equipment.

“Anybody in the community would benefit from this,” said Morand.

Ritterbusch will draft a grant proposal and present it for final approval at the next meeting on Sept. 30.

Cook added that the library is supportive of the application.

Commission may apply for state transportation grant

Because transportation is a key issue for people with disabilities, Morand discussed applying for funding through the state’s Community Transit Grant Program. This annual grant can be used to purchase vehicles or assist with mobility management needs. The grant cycle opened Sept. 16, and the application deadline is Nov. 1.

Morand volunteered to attend a training session sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation on the steps to apply for this grant.

“This is something that very heavily affects a large swath of the population,” said Cook. She added that Chun should be engaged on this topic as well.

HCAM video series ideas take shape

Vice chair Alex Danahy discussed a proposed show for HCAM that would highlight resources for people with disabilities as well as the challenges they experience. He sought input from members regarding topics. Once a list is generated, Danahy will request a meeting on the proposed show with station director Jim Cozzens.