Midway Fire Adds Sensory Kits to Vehicles to Calm Individuals with Autism

Midway Fire Rescue

The team at Midway Fire often responds to calls that involves children or adults with autism. Individual with autism have sensitivity to loud noises and bright lights, which means that the bright lights, loud sirens and strangers appearing from the ambulance can cause them to have a stressful and uncomfortable experience.

Because of this, Midway Fire decided to add sensory kits to their emergency vehicles in an effort to produce a more calming experience to members of their community. The kits include comforting items to help move their attention away from the disturbance. Item such as sunglasses to block bright lights, noise reduction headphones, stress-reduction toys and other stress relief items to use during an emergency.

“The call is very traumatic anyway and then all of the commotions, the lights, all the strange people and stuff like that. It just makes it easier for us to treat them if we can bring them into a better emotional state,” Doug Eggiman, Midway Fire Rescue chief said.

The Midway Fire Rescue will continue to raise money to be able to have more bags in the future. Thank you for being considerate of the special needs community during these tough times.