Dial-A-Ride Guidelines

Town of Hebron Dial-a-Ride Guidelines A Service Through the Russell Mercier Senior Center
14 Stonecroft Drive Hebron, CT 06248 Phone: (860) 228-1700

This policy applies to the Town of Hebron’s Dial-a-Ride program. The Dial-a-Ride
program’s objective is to serve as many people as possible in a fair, efficient, and effective
manner and to help promote independent living and reduce isolation for seniors and
disabled adults.

Any and all incidents/injuries should be reported to the Dial-a-Ride driver immediately upon
their occurrence with necessary intervention provided. All incidents/injuries require the
driver or Senior Center staff to file an applicable written report.
If you have any problems/concerns/suggestions, please notify the Senior Center as soon
as possible. All feedback on your Dial-a-Ride experience, positive or negative, is
appreciated and important for program improvement/modification.

Eligibility:
• Hebron residents 60 years of age and over and disabled adults age 18 and
over.

• Hebron’s Dial-a-Ride typically provides exterior door to exterior door pickup/drop-off
service (including assistance opening and closing doors) unless
logistical reasons preclude the driver from being able to leave the vehicle.
Individuals requiring additional support such as getting into and/or out of their
homes/buildings or with personal tasks, and those who are medically fragile or
cognitively impaired, etc., must secure suitable caregiver assistance.

• Only service animals accompanying applicable passengers will be allowed in
vehicles. No other animals are allowed.

• Drivers may escort passengers from exterior door to exterior door, but may not
enter a passenger’s home or assist passengers beyond the exterior door of a
building. Drivers may assist passengers with packages of a reasonable weight
(typically no more than 30 pounds) from exterior door to exterior door. It is
important that you provide information regarding your need for escorting and/or
assistance with packages at the time that your reservation is made in order for
appropriate time to be scheduled.

• Drivers may not lift passengers and drivers are unable to provide any personal care.

• Dial-a-Ride is not an emergency or medically-supported/equipped transport
service. Please call 9-1-1 if there is an emergency or an appropriate ambulance
service for medically-supported transportation.

• Dial-a-Ride is not available to perform errands on behalf of individuals. It is
exclusively available to provide transportation service for eligible passengers.

• Hebron residents, not eligible for this service based on disability, who are under the
age of 60, may utilize Dial-a-Ride exclusively for participation in Senior Center
organized outings with boarding and disembarking from the Senior Center.

• All Dial-a-Ride participants must provide statistical data (Consumer Registration
Form 5 plus addendum), and are responsible for notification of changes, as dictated
by State and Federal funding sources. Only required statistical information will be
shared. All personal identifying information will be kept confidential.
Eligibility Exception for Non-residents:

• Non-residents who are 60 years of age and over and non-resident disabled adults
age 18 and over may utilize Dial-a-Ride vehicles for Senior Center organized
outings only with boarding and disembarking from the Senior Center.

• All non-resident Dial-a-Ride passengers must provide statistical data (Consumer
Registration Form 5 plus addendum), and bear responsibility for notification of
changes, as dictated by State and Federal funding sources. Only required
statistical information will be shared. All personal identifying information will be kept
confidential.

Cost:
• There currently is no charge for Dial-a-Ride participation. This service receives
financial support from the Town of Hebron through the Elderly/Handicapped Van
budget, the Connecticut Department of Transportation through the State Matching
Grant for Elderly and Disabled Demand Responsive Transportation, and the North
Central Area Agency on Aging through the Federal Older Americans Act.

• Confidential contributions/donations are welcome and will be used exclusively to
expand Dial-a-Ride services. You are under no obligation to provide a contribution
– contributions are purely voluntary. Service provided to you will not be
adversely affected in any way due to a contribution not being made.

• Dial-a-Rider drivers are unable to accept gifts and/or gratuities.

Service Availability:
• Dial-a-Ride service generally operates Monday through Friday 8:30AM to 3:45PM.
For occasional medical appointments and Senior Center organized outings,
accommodations may be able to be made outside of this operational
framework. Additionally, based on significant need/demand (minimum 6 to 10
eligible residents), and/or the absence of other available resources, local Dial-aRide
service may be provided outside of the typical schedule.

• Dial-a-Ride service is not available during Town holidays or as dictated by
inclement weather/road conditions (i.e. inclement weather/road conditions may
warrant cancellation of operation, a late start, or early suspension of

****Senior Center Storm Closing Policy****
If schools are closed due to poor weather/road conditions or a major power outage the Senior Center is closed and there will be NO Dial-A-Ride, senior center activities, or Meals on Wheels.
If schools have a 2 hour delay, Center activities and transportation start @ 9:00AM.

• Requested trip origin or destination must be in Hebron (e.g., trips cannot originate
from an outside-of-Hebron skilled nursing facility/convalescent home to an outsideof-Hebron
destination).

• Routine transportation related to employment is not provided.

• For Senior Center organized outings, if needed, Dial-a-Ride eligible Hebron
residents may request transportation from home.

• Dial-a-Ride is provided through the operation of two multi-passenger,
handicapped accessible (including wheelchair lifts) buses, and one standard 4 door
sedan.

• Doorways to the multi-passenger handicapped accessible buses are 30 inches in
width, requiring the navigation of 3 steps. The wheelchair lifts can accommodate a
total gross weight of 600 lbs. and wheelchairs with maximum widths of 34 inches. It
is the responsibility of the passenger utilizing an assistive device to ensure its
safety, stability, and proper operation/use.
Scheduling/Prioritization:

• Dial-a-Ride operates in accordance with the following prioritization given to advance
scheduling:

• Non-emergency medical/pharmaceutical appointments

• Senior Center’s congregate nutritional lunch program

• Appointments related to financial/homecare/legal assistance programs

• Group clinics/health screenings (e.g., those scheduled at the Senior
Center)

• Senior Center social events/outings, informational/educational sessions,
etc.

• Trips limited to within Hebron or contiguous towns (Andover, Bolton,
Colchester, Columbia, Glastonbury, Lebanon, Marlborough) for other
personal needs

• Dial-a-Ride service is typically routinely available Fridays for Hebron residents for
grocery shopping (monthly schedule as posted in the Senior Center newsletter to
Ted’s Food Center, Willimantic Shaw’s, North Windham Wal-Mart Supercenter),
pharmacy, banking, and post office.

• Dial-a-Ride service is typically routinely available to Hebron Interfaith Human
Services’ Food Bank exclusively for Hebron residents twice monthly on an everyother
Thursday morning basis as posted in the Senior Center newsletter.
Reservation Process:

Reservation Process:

Reservations can be made by calling the Senior Center Monday through Thursday between 8AM and 4:30PM, and/or Friday between 8AM and 1PM.. Dial-aRide drivers cannot make reservations/schedule changes. The Senior Center must
be contacted regarding all requested reservations/changes.

• Every effort will be made to accommodate requests as scheduling permits.
Providing as much advance notice as possible will typically increase the probability
of your reservation request being granted. Additionally, the Senior Center will make
every effort to augment your reservation only when extenuating circumstances
exist.

• When making reservations, please be prepared to provide appointment time,
approximate length of appointment, complete address of destination, etc. This
information is particularly important since on occasion, it will be necessary for
one vehicle/driver to provide transportation to your destination while another
vehicle/driver will provide your return trip.

• Should you need to change or cancel a reservation, you must provide advance
notice by calling the Senior Center Monday through Thursday between 8AM and
4:30PM and/or Friday between 8:00AM and 1:00PM.
• Your flexibility may be required since, in order to efficiently/effectively accommodate
the high number of transportation requests received to divergent destinations,
grouping rides by the geographic area and times, unless contraindicated based on
medical condition, may be necessary.

• Please be mindful of the fact that additional requested stops beyond your scheduled
reservation can result in drivers being delayed for other pick-ups/drop-offs,
increased operational costs, etc. Additional stops/destination changes will only be
granted, schedule permitting, for extenuating circumstances (e.g., need to pick-up a
prescription following a medical appointment transport).

• If applicable, also provide information regarding special needs (e.g., require
vehicle with wheelchair lift, additional time needed for boarding and/or disembarking
vehicle due to mobility impairment, etc.). A pick-up time/vehicle assignment will be
provided to you that we will adhere to as closely as possible barring extenuating
circumstances.

• Your cooperation is requested by being ready for boarding the vehicle at your pickup
time. Dial-a-Ride will wait no more than 5 minutes upon which the driver will
then notify the Senior Center of your forfeited reservation.

• Accommodations will be made based on situational necessity only and cannot be
made based on vehicle and/or driver preference.

• Scheduling often precludes drivers from waiting for the conclusion of passenger
appointments. All passengers will be provided with business cards listing the
Senior Center’s telephone number and the Dial-a-Ride vehicles’ cellular phone
numbers to be utilized for notification of your need for a return trip or as may
otherwise be necessary.

While Riding:
• Seatbelts must be worn by drivers and passengers at all times when the vehicle is
in motion.

• Smoking is prohibited in all Dial-a-Ride vehicles.

• All mobility devices, packages, etc. must be secured so as not to obstruct pathways
or otherwise impede safety.

• Dial-a-Ride drivers are bound by strict standards of confidentiality both on and off
duty. Private information about passengers cannot be communicated to other
passengers or other persons outside of necessary Senior Center personnel.

• Dial-a-Ride service may be refused in the following situations:

• passenger appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs

• passenger conduct/behavior is inappropriate, abusive,
non compliant, or disruptive

• passenger is physically, mobility, hygienically, or cognitively
compromised to the point that it raises serious concerns for the
passenger, other passengers and/or the driver

• passenger’s needs cannot be accommodated due to limitations
dictated by vehicle specifications and/or necessary assistive
devices

• passenger’s driveway and/or walkway is deemed
unsafe/significantly obstructed due to snow, ice, branches or other
hazards