{"id":197924,"date":"2025-10-03T07:26:26","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T12:26:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=197924"},"modified":"2025-10-03T07:26:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T12:26:28","slug":"vwfd-offers-respond-with-care-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2025\/10\/03\/vwfd-offers-respond-with-care-program\/","title":{"rendered":"VWFD offers Respond With Care program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

VW independent staff\/submitted information<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Van Wert Fire Department has announced the launch of its new \u201cRespond With Care \u2013 Special Needs Occupant Sticker Program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program provides free stickers that alert firefighters, EMS, and law enforcement that someone inside a home or vehicle may have special needs requiring extra care during an emergency.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cThese stickers give our first responders a quick way to know when they may need to adjust how they approach a situation,\u201d said Fire Chief Jon D. Jones. \u201cIt helps us prepare to respond with patience, understanding, and the right kind of support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sticker is available to anyone with special needs, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Individuals with autism spectrum disorder<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • People who are deaf or hard of hearing<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Those who are blind or visually impaired<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Individuals with mobility challenges<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Anyone with cognitive or developmental differences<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Where to Place the Sticker<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • At Home: On or near the front door where responders can see it immediately.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • On a Vehicle: On the rear window, clearly visible to approaching responders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      What the Sticker Means for First Responders<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      When responders see the sticker, it signals that someone may need special consideration. First responders may:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Anticipate possible communication difficulties<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Reduce lights, sirens, or loud noises when possible<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Be patient with delayed or unpredictable responses<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Provide extra mobility assistance<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Adjust instructions to be simpler and easier to understand<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        \u201cThis program is about awareness and compassion,\u201d Jones said. \u201cBy knowing ahead of time that someone may need extra help, we can keep emergencies calmer and safer for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Stickers are free of charge and available at the Van Wert Fire Department. Community members may stop by the station to request one for themselves or a family member.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        VW independent staff\/submitted information The Van Wert Fire Department has announced the launch of its new \u201cRespond With Care \u2013 Special Needs Occupant Sticker Program.\u201d The program provides free stickers that alert firefighters, EMS, and law enforcement that someone inside a home or vehicle may have special needs requiring extra care during an emergency. \u201cThese […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-197924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-28 13:12:17","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197924","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=197924"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197924\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":197926,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197924\/revisions\/197926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=197924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=197924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=197924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}