Public Safety Officials Encourage All Residents to Sign Up For the Free Service That Provides Emergency Responders with More Information
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Police Commissioner John Barbieri, Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant and Dispatch Director Melissa Nazzaro announced today the City of Springfield’s new emergency response initiative, Smart911. Smart911 allows citizens to create a Safety Profile at www.smart911.com for their household that includes any information they want 9-1-1 and first responders to have in the event of an emergency. This information enables faster and more effective emergency response by law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services.
Mayor Sarno stated, “The more pre-info/history we can get to our brave police and firefighters can only enhance their life and structure saving efforts in keeping our residents safe and sound.”
When a citizen makes a 9-1-1 call, their Safety Profile is automatically displayed to the 9-1-1 call taker, allowing them to send the right first responders to the right location with the right information.
“Smart911saves critical time in an emergency and has proven to save lives nationwide,” said Commissioner Barbieri. “The additional tools provided in the Smart911 platform saves critical time in an emergency when seconds can be the difference between life and death.”
With Smart911, citizens can link both home and work addresses to mobile phones, which can be passed on to first responders in the field for more a detailed, rapid response. Additional information including pets in the home, vehicle details in the event of an accident, and even emergency contacts can all be included in a Safety Profile. All information is optional and residents have the ability to choose what details they would like to include. Enhanced information makes officers better informed to provide improved service.
“Firefighters having the proper information when responding to your home or location for an emergency will provide you and your family with a greater chance for survival and a more successful outcome in your time of need,” said Commissioner Conant.
Smart911 is currently available in 40 states and more than 1,500 municipalities across the country, and has been credited with positively impacting emergency outcomes including a missing child in which the girls photo and physical description were immediately available to 9-1-1 and responders, as well as a heart attack victim where an address and medical notes allowed responders to be dispatched to his location quickly.
“GPS cell locations inside buildings are inaccurate, so the extra information provided in a Smart911 profile helps to quickly locate a 9-1-1 cell caller having an emergency in their home or apartment. This saves critical time when identifying a dispatchable location, especially during an emergency when the caller cannot tell us exactly where they are,” said Melissa Nazzaro.
Springfield residents are encouraged to create their Safety Profile with Smart911 today at www.smart911.com to have their information immediately available to 9-1-1 and to receive emergency notifications. Smart911 is private and secure, is only used for emergency responses, and only made available to the 9-1-1 system in the event of an emergency call.
For further information please visit www.smart911.com.
