Ballwin Police Program Helps Check on Residents During Extreme Heat

Two days after neighbors had not seen 89-year-old Franklin C. Trumpeter come out of his Ballwin home, they decided to call police to check on him.

Unfortunately, it was too late. , which had a broken central air conditioning unit and a temperature of 91 degrees.

As a result of this and the other 23 deaths in the St. Louis Metropolitan area, the Ballwin Police Department is reminding residents of its “R-U-OK” program, which allows residents to sign up for an automated call every day to make sure they are OK.

If the call is not answered, police are sent to the residence to check on the participant.

“This program allows the elderly or infirm who live alone an added sense of security by knowing that if they become injured or too ill to reach the telephone that someone will be on the way to assist them,” stated a press release on the city’s website.

The time and frequency of the program’s telephone call is set at the participant’s request. The calls can be cancelled or the time altered to accommodate changes in the participant’s schedule.

Anyone interested in enrolling in this free service, can request a form at the Ballwin Police station, or by calling Ballwin Communications at (636) 227-2941, or by contacting the Ballwin Community Affairs Unit:

• Officer Sarah Bonsee (636) 227-2650. E-mail: sbonsee@ballwin.mo.us
• Officer Shaun Doerr (636) 207-2318. E-mail: sdoerr@ballwin.mo.us