Daily calls to check in on elderly and others who may need help.

Byline: Bradford L. Miner

LEICESTER - The Police Department is urging senior citizens, the disabled and others with special medical needs to enroll in its new Database Systems' CARE Call Reassurance Program.

Police Chief James J. Hurley described the program, which is also used by the Auburn Police Department, as a fully automated computer system that dials residents and checks on them daily using a telephone "reassurance" system.

Jerry Pizet, vice president of Database Systems Corp. and CARE program manager, said Holden is another community in Massachusetts now using the system. There are similar systems from other companies in other Massachusetts communities.

Telephone "reassurance" provides a daily contact to subscribers to verify that they have no problems. In Leicester, if a subscriber does not answer the call or presses a phone key indicating the need for help, the CARE system sends an alert to the police; calls family, friends or volunteers; and calls police or first-responders. It can also send e-mail to family or friends, Mr. Pizet said.

Chief Hurley said Leicester launched the $6,900 program with six subscribers while "working the bugs out." He is projecting having 30 subscribers soon and more as winter approaches. The $6,900 came from a Community Policing grant from the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

"We're good to go now and anyone who thinks they might benefit should contact the department," he said.

"Many of the town's seniors do not get out as frequently in the cold weather and with the increased cost of heating fuel this winter it is vitally important that we have a system such as CARE in place to make certain they are safe," he added.

Auburn Police Chief Andrew Sluckis said his town has had a call service for more than a decade. It had been using Are You OK (RUOK), which was developed by Northland Innovation Corp., but switched to Database Systems' product.

"We really didn't have a choice," explained Christina Silpe, director of elderly affairs for Auburn.

"When the RUOK system that had been in place for some time crashed and burned, we had a choice of replacing it with the newer RUOK software, or going with something new and we decided to go with Database System's Call Reasurrance program," Ms. Silpe said.

The rollout of the program in Leicester ends a year of preparation that included getting computer equipment and software and additional telephone equipment.

The chief explained that the computer-generated calls are routed through an existing phone line at the police station.

"This was important to the long-term viability of the program," he said. "If we had to pay for an additional telephone line, the recurring cost might eventually interfere with the program. Accessing an existing line was a technical challenge, but results in no additional costs to the community."

He credited Sgt. Kenneth Antanavica with overseeing the task of getting the system up and running.

Chief Hurley said Leicester residents may register by calling the Police Department dispatcher at [phone].

He said a police officer would come to someone's home with an application, as well as assistance in filling it out if needed.

Completed forms should be mailed to the Leicester Police Department, 90 South Main St., Leicester, MA. 01524. Anyone with any questions m should contact Chief Hurley via e-mail at [e-mail] or Sgt. Kenneth Antanavica via e-mail at [e-mail] or by phone at [phone].

NAME: LEICESTER POLICE DEPARTMENT

ART: PHOTO

CUTLINE: Douglas A. Belanger, left, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, and Town Administrator Robert T. Reed, right, watch Police Chief James J. Hurley demonstrate Leicester's new call reassurance system.

PHOTOG: T&G Staff/DAN GOULD