Pennsylvania has created the Yellow Dot program as a way for individuals to receive appropriate emergency care following a traffic accident when they may not be able to communicate their own needs.

Placing a Yellow Dot sticker in the vehicle’s rear window alerts first responders to check the glove compartment for vital medical information.

The Yellow Dot sticker and pamphlet with instructions and pages for emergency information are available from the office of state Rep. Gary Day, R-187th.

Call his office at 610-760-7082 or stop in at Good Will Fire Company, 7223 Hamilton Blvd., Trexlertown, to obtain a kit.

Day has been located at the fire company since a fire damaged his office along Route 309, Heidelberg Township, in March.

Each participant in the Yellow Dot program should have a completed pamphlet in the vehicle’s glove box.

The booklet includes space for medical conditions, recent surgeries, medications, allergies, physicians’ names, hospital preference, and emergency contact persons.

There is space for a 3-inch by 3-inch photo in the pamphlet.

The Yellow Dot sticker, placed inside the rear window on the lower left section of the driver’s side, will not affect operation of the rear defroster.

Individuals are responsible for the accuracy of the information and are advised to keep it updated with any changes.

By having the medical data accessible, emergency responders can provide more personalized care for the injured person while avoiding mistakes due to unknown medications or conditions.

One packet is needed per vehicle. Participants having more than one car would need a dot and pamphlet for each one.

Families should provide the medical information for each person using or riding in the vehicle.

The Yellow Dot program is a cooperative effort among the Pennsylvania departments of transportation, health, and aging; state police; the Turnpike Commission; first responders; and local law enforcement.