Free Emergency Response Information Kits available for Manitobans age 55+

Residents ages 55+ in Manitoba are eligible to get an Emergency Response Information Kit (ERIK).  

ERIKs store your medical information so first responders can better assist you.  

Mélanie Brémaud, Senior Resource Coordinator with Seine River Services for Seniors, says ERIKs include your medical history, your medications, your advocate information, and even your healthcare directive.  

“So when first responders come to your home, they see there is a sticker on your door, and then they know to go to the fridge and grab the kit and treat you more efficiently.”  

She says it’s important to have your information on your fridge in case you're unable to speak to the first responders directly.  

“If they have an accident, like a fall at home which is quite common, and they're just not able to voice, ‘I have allergies’ or ‘I'm taking these medications’ that way first responders know what to be aware of,” she says. “It helps them stay safe, especially if you lose your way of speech, then this can say everything to them.”  

Brémaud says ERIKs used to cost money to get, but the provincial government agreed to fund them as a part of the seniors strategy last year.  

“So we have 200,000 ERIKs to hand out for free thanks to the provincial government.”  

The government agreed on 200,000 free kits throughout the province as they went with the numbers according to the last census.  

She says the funding for these ERIKs was something organizations in the southeast hoped for.  

“We took part in the strategy, like myself, Pat Porter, and a couple of other resource coordinators. And this was one of the things we had asked for funding because we were running pretty dry on kits and they're really expensive to make.”  

In the area Brémaud covers, she has given out over 150 kits since she got her first batch last fall when they started rolling out.  

“I still have a good 500 left in the office.”  

If you would like an ERIK, contact a resource coordinator such as Brémaud. You can reach her at 204-424-5285 or labseinerss@gmail.com.

“Resource coordinators are all over the province, we all have kits. If you're in the La Broquerie or Ste. Anne area, you can call me because I'm the resource coordinator for that region.”  

She notes that if you would like assistance filling out the information in your ERIK, she would be more than happy to help.