FALMOUTH, Maine — If you have a loved one who is an older Mainer or has health issues, it can be concerning if they live alone, especially if you live far away from them. To ease that kind of worry, the Falmouth Police Department has what it calls its "Reassurance Program" to provide daily check-ins with senior citizens or people with significant health issues.
The program, based out of the Falmouth Regional Communications Center, asks those enrolled in the program to call the Falmouth Police Department's non-emergency number every morning by 10 a.m. If operators don't receive a phone call, the operators will try to make contact with them. If that goes unanswered as well, an officer will do a welfare check.
"I think it’s a really important program not only for the people that live in the community but for the family members that don’t live around them and are unable to maybe check on them on a daily basis or give them a phone call," Michael Allen, the Falmouth police communications supervisor, said.
The program has been in place for more than two decades, and the department hopes it will grow. At one point, there were more than 20 people enrolled, but currently, there are just about 10.
"You can hear on the phone that they enjoy speaking to a human person. They're not just getting a phone tree or recorded line or a quick, 'Yep, have a good day.' I mean sometimes it may happen but there's an interaction there and you can hear it in their voice that they're grateful to have a human on the other side of it to talk to and say 'good morning' to," Rachel Kilbride, an operator at Falmouth Regional Communications Center, said.
Kilbride has been part of the program since its inception and said she's formed bonds with people by having short, daily conversations on the phone.
"It's very warm and comforting, and it's nice to give them a smile through the phone," she said.
During registration, Falmouth police will record information about house keys and alarms, medical histories, and phone numbers for emergency contacts.
"We have a lot of storms and power outages and other issues too. We have them as part of our community that we can check on," Allen said.
If you're interested in signing up or want more information, you can call Falmouth Regional Communications Center at 207-781-2300.