Men’s Club expands Lifeline
By PHYLLIS HODGES
DIANE LOEFFLER PHOTO
Lifeline installer Bruce Fraser shows Mike Albanese, Emergency Squad assistant chief for safety, the fall-detection unit before it was installed at the squad building. If a volunteer working alone needs help, the device will send a signal to the county Fire Rescue.
The Sun City Center Men’s Club continues to explore ways to help residents. Acknowledging that falls are a major issue for a senior community, the club recently started offering Lifeline, a personal emergency response system, at no cost to local organizations to help them protect their members who may be working solo.
With this system, a Lifeline unit with fall detection is installed in the facility and a transmitter is worn by the member working alone. Should a fall occur, the device sends an alert directly to Hillsborough County’s Fire Rescue call center.
The first installation was in April at the SCC Emergency Squad, a 24/7 operation. Mike Albanese, the squad’s assistant chief for safety, and the entire squad appreciates the Men’s Club arranging for this service. “Often in the evening, we have only one dispatcher. If a call comes in, that dispatcher is left alone in the building. In the event of an emergency, this unit provides a way to call for help,” he said.
The second installation followed quickly at the Club Renaissance Fitness Center as they have single users and no attendants on duty. According to David Floyd, Men’s Club vice president who manages the club’s Lifeline project, they have reached out to other organizations that are considering the offer.
Lifeline is headquartered on the SCC Community Association Central Campus (Cherry Hills Drive). An office is staffed 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to coordinate new installations, equipment maintenance and recordkeeping. On weekends and holidays calls are transferred to an answering service for handling.
All installation and repair/service calls for the devices are free. In 2016, there were 546 Lifeline assistance requests.
For Lifeline information, call 813-633-7091, or e-mail mclifeline@live.com.
