Safety device made just for helmets
For more than 24 years, a tiny Freeport-Butler based product has been making a big impact on the lives of bicyclists and motorcyclists nationwide.
The Medical Information Carrier — a small, protected ID that carries current personal medical history — can be affixed inside bicycle helmets or on motorcycle helmets.
They're made of lightweight materials and proprietary adhesives that can withstand various conditions and provide information immediately to responders if the cyclist is in need of medical attention.
“They're very complex materials with a simple application,” said designer Louis J. Gaston, a former chiropractor, physician assistant and Army lieutenant colonel.
A man of many hats, Gaston admits he's not a “serious bike rider, and I don't do motorcycles.”
The concept first began in 1996, when Gaston was medical director for then-Gov. Tom Ridge's “Keystone Rides” bicycling initiative.
“One of the things we realized right away was that if someone went down, I would have to leaf through papers in manila folders to find important information such as allergies to medications,” said Gaston, who first sketched out his idea on “the proverbial napkin” back then.The data is written onto the synthetic insert in pencil by the rider. Although it can withstand years of sweat or water, it can easily be erased for updates.The bicyclist version includes an outside, reflective decal alerting EMS that there is information inside the helmet. The motorcycle version advises any good Samaritan who may come across an injured biker not to remove his or her helmet.“That same basic design has endured to today,” Gaston said. “We have improved on sizes and things like that, but it's essentially the same system. And I am unaware of any failures since that time.”Gaston, who also produces a line that specifically goes inside hard hats, estimates he has shipped out approximately 1.1 million Medical Information Carriers so far.Although Gaston is the designer, and based in Freeport, the components are manufactured at various facilities. Products are assembled, packaged and shipped from The ARC of Butler.Gaston said there are competing items on the market, but they all include additional tasks to carry and often are lost or forgotten.“With these, every time you put your helmet on, the data is with you,” Gaston said.The simple concept is so affective that the products have been ordered in large groups by the state Department of Transportation for distribution at Motorcycle Safety Courses as well as by clubs, safety events and venues.Interested shoppers may purchase as little as two or as many as thousands at a time.“We expedite the same whether you buy two or 5,000 because we recognize this is a potential life saver,” Gaston said.For more information, visit www.idformyhelmet.com.Despite the success of the product, Gaston said he sells relatively few of the motorcycle components locally.“Our number one state for motorcycle states is Colorado,” Gaston said. “There, emphasis is outdoor activities. And different organizations, like hospitals, are invested in safety initiatives across the board. They have embraced this product.”
