Carrier Alert Program

"This year, the U.S. Postal Service's Carrier Alert Program is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and the importance of the program was demonstrated firsthand last month," writes reporter Jessica Cohen on Ohio's TheGatewayNews.com website.

According to Cohen, "Letter carrier Kathy Frampton provided Page Road resident Katherine Lorencz, 64, with assistance July 9 when Frampton heard Lorencz yelling from her home."

Frampton is quoted as saying, ""I am familiar with Ms. Lorencz's situation, and I keep an eye on her.When I heard her yelling, I was thinking, 'Where is she?' I couldn't see her from the road."

Cohen goes on to say, "Frampton had last seen Lorencz on the morning of July 7. Sometime during the course of the weekend, Lorencz fell and was experiencing joint pain from the fall, according to Fire Chief Rob Reinholz. Frampton called 911, gave Lorencz some water and waited for first responders to come and take over."

David Van Allen, regional spokesperson for the USPS, is quoted in the piece as saying, ""As [the carriers] deliver mail every day, they pretty well know the trends of people. If they notice that mail is accumulating and hasn't been picked up for awhile, that's a good cue that the person might need to be checked on. The carrier may call a relative, knock on the door, then call the police."

Carrier Alert is a joint program of the National Association of Letter Carriers and the Postal Service, but its foundation is built on the local service organization, which might be the local United Way, Red Cross or Agency on Aging. The agency handles promotion, registration, administration, establishing local procedures and funding.

For more on Carrier Alert, click here.