As the holiday season approaches, the Kent County Dispatch Authority is encouraging Kent County residents to take the time to speak with loved ones about the benefits and importance of signing up for Smart911™.
A free service provided by KCDA, Smart911 lets users create a private and secure safety profile that 911 will reference during an emergency. This information may include photos, detailed medical information, cell phone numbers, vehicle descriptions, pet information and other data that can be critical during an emergency situation, and enables faster and more effective emergency response by law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services.
“Smart911 helps responders use the minutes that count during an urgent situation for a better, faster response,” said Wyoming City Manger Curtis Holt, who serves as the chair of the Kent County Dispatch Authority. “This service is now free to all Kent County residents and has proven to save lives nationally. Taking a few minutes to get you and your family signed up now might save your lives in an emergency later.”
Connected to a mobile phone number, Smart911 allows residents to link both home and work addresses, which can then be passed on to responders in the field for a more detailed, rapid response. All information is optional, and each user has the ability to choose what is included.
Since Smart911 was introduced, emergency dispatchers have credited it with several “Smart Saves.” One incident earlier this year resulted in a successful intervention for an 18-year-old, who called 911 saying she had drunk alcohol and taken pills and was unable to move. The dispatcher was able to reach her through her Smart911 profile, reaching out to an aunt who was able to get her to the emergency room.
“I can’t say it enough: The benefits of signing up for this service are immense,” Holt said. “When you use your mobile phone to call 911, an address is not displayed to the call taker, slowing down the emergency response. In so many emergency situations, minutes and seconds matter, and the additional information in a safety profile allows help to get there faster – and arrive better prepared.”
Smart911 is currently available in 40 states and more than 1,500 municipalities across the country. The service has been credited with positively impacting emergency outcomes, including prevention of several life-threatening incidents in which the discretion of conversations with 911 were critical to the outcomes. After making initial contact with 911 dispatchers via phone call, discrete details in these situations were able to be confirmed by text message via Smart911 after the call.
This service was made available to Kent County residents for the first time earlier this year, but as the holiday’s approach, KCDA is hoping residents will take the time to have conversations about Smart911 with loved ones.
“This holiday season, what better gift than giving your family additional peace of mind in case of an emergency?” Holt said. “I certainly can’t think of one.”
Kent County residents are encouraged to create their safety profile with Smart911 at www.smart911.com to ensure their information is available to 911. It takes approximately 10 minutes to complete the secure online form that will be stored in the confidential Smart911 database. All information is kept private and protected and is only available to 911.
About Kent County Dispatch Authority
The Kent County Dispatch Authority was formed in 2007 to address issues that related to 911 services in the County. KCDA develops policies and procedures for administering 911, creates the annual operating and capital budget, establishes goals and objectives through a strategic plan for future technological or operational enhancements, distributes 911 surcharge funds and other initiatives to maximize efficiency of 911 services. For more information, visit www.kent911.org
About Smart911
Currently available in 40 states and more than 1,500 municipalities, Smart911 allows citizens to create a free Safety Profile online for their household that includes information they want 911 and response teams to have during an emergency, such as their address, medical conditions, pets, etc. When an emergency call is made, a citizen’s Safety Profile is automatically displayed to the 911 call-taker. Last year, 25 million 911 calls were assisted by Safety Profiles. All information is kept private and secure, only appearing when the associated number calls 911.
