By Jocelyn Rowley
Loveland Reporter-Herald
A couple of years ago, Thompson Valley Emergency Services Battalion Chief Dave Edwards was at Ball Arena in Denver for a Cirque du Soleil performance with his family when he noticed his oldest daughter, who is on the autism spectrum, didn鈥檛 seem to be enjoying the show as much as everyone else.
鈥淚鈥檓 engaged, my wife is engaged, my youngest daughter is engaged, but our oldest daughter was rigid in her seat, and you could just tell from her face that she was not into it,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淪tuff was moving fast and there were flashing lights and loud noises.鈥�
At intermission, Edwards鈥� wife suggested that they try to find a set of headphones to ease their daughter鈥檚 discomfort, an idea he initially scoffed at.
鈥淚 thought 鈥榯hat鈥檚 the dumbest idea I鈥檝e ever heard,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淚 saw Cirque du Soleil t-shirt booths and food vendors, but there didn鈥檛 seem to be anything else. So I thought it was silly, but agreed to go look.鈥�
A quick escalator ride to the main concourse was all it took to prove the idea wasn鈥檛 so silly after all. Almost immediately, Edwards and his wife found a guest services booth with a sign reading 鈥淎sk us about our sensory bags鈥�.
After borrowing one, they returned to their seats with items meant to help those with sensory sensitivities.
鈥淢y daughter throws on headphones and has a weighted blanket on her lap. She was playing with a fidget toy,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd for the second half of the show, she鈥檚 not rigid 鈥� she鈥檚 relaxed, watching, engaged.鈥�
That was Edwards鈥� introduction to KultureCity, a nonprofit that is now helping Thompson Valley Emergency Medical Services鈥� neurodivergent patients.
His experiences with his daughter made him realize that ambulances 鈥� with their flashing lights, loud sirens and unfamiliar people 鈥� can be especially overwhelming environments. To help people with sensitivities, he introduced his bosses to the organization and their kits. Now TVEMS is the first emergency medical service in Colorado to earn KultureCity鈥檚 鈥淪ensory Inclusive鈥� First Responder certification and carry the organization鈥檚 sensory kits in all of its ambulances.
鈥淚 brought the idea here and everybody said, 鈥榯his is the best idea I鈥檝e ever heard, let鈥檚 move forward,鈥欌�� Edwards said. 鈥淪o we reached out, we signed up. We got more than 90% of our team through the training. And now every day, when I go home, I get to tell my daughter we鈥檙e helping people like her, and she鈥檚 ecstatic.鈥�
Headquartered in Alabama, KultureCity鈥檚 mission is to promote accessibility and inclusion for individuals with 鈥渋nvisible鈥� disabilities, such as autism, PTSD, dementia and other sensory processing challenges, said Chief Operations Officer Joy Palmer. With more than 3,000 partners worldwide, including schools, sports arenas and first responders, the organization provides training and tools to ensure that individuals with sensory needs can participate fully in public life.
In its home state of Alabama, KultureCity helped advocate for the Cade Noah Act, which now requires state-certified officers to complete sensory training every two years, a move prompted by a tragic incident involving a person in crisis, Palmer said.
鈥淎s you can imagine, interacting in a first responder situation is already very, very overwhelming, and those with sensory needs can feel more overwhelmed, much more easily than those who are neurotypical,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o our first responder training is extremely important to make sure that they have the tools to help someone decompress and feel at ease.鈥�
Palmer noted that first responders aren鈥檛 just critical during emergencies, they also serve as key touchpoints at community events and public functions. 鈥淗aving those tools on hand, even outside of emergencies, really matters,鈥� she said.
The sensory kits include the headphones, glasses, three fidget items and cards printed with pictures and symbols to help nonverbal patients communicate their needs. Patients can keep the items if they need support at the hospital or return them to be cleaned and restocked.
Thompson Valley EMS crew member Brenda Vasquez holds a visual cue card from a KultureCity sensory kit. The card helps nonverbal or overwhelmed patients communicate how they鈥檙e feeling during emergency situations. ( Jocelyn Rowley/Loveland Reporter-Herald )
As of late May, there is a sensory kit in every TVEMS-marked vehicle, though, as of last week, none had been deployed so far. The agency also has sensory kits available at two of its stations, including its headquarters on Clydesdale Parkway.
For Edwards, the training and kits are tools he wishes he had earlier in his career.
鈥淚 know that I was ineffective in my attempts to deescalate in the past, and now, in retrospect, I strongly suspect many of those involved these issues,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur training in the past had been to talk calm, encourage them to relax 鈥� and if that were the only problem, then that would work great. It wouldn鈥檛 work for people who are suffering a sensory crisis.鈥�
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