911Smart911 technology improves 9-1-1- response

Farmingham, Massachusetts-based Rave Mobile Safety, a provider of safety software solutions, said its Smart911 technology has seen increasing adoption in 2011. Smart911 allows citizens to create a safety profile with critical information, which is then automatically displayed at participating public safety answering points (PSAPs), when a 9-1-1 call is placed.

The company said that Smart911 is now available to more than five million citizens.

Emergency managers said they liked the technology and found it helpful. “In the city of Atlanta, we strive to create a dependable 9-1-1 center that can support the community with a quick and accurate response during an emergency,” said Deputy Chief Shawn Jones, Atlanta Police Support Services. “Today, when so many people use cell phones to communicate, it’s critical that we bridge the gap between our existing 9-1-1 technology and the technology used by our callers. The data delivered to our 9-1-1 center is automatically made available to the answering telecommunicator, whether the call originates from a citizen’s landline, VOIP, or mobile phone. Location data and additional emergency information mean that we’re able to improve emergency outcomes and improve safety.”

“Information is invaluable, especially when responding to 9-1-1 calls placed by a citizen with a medical condition or disability,” said Zim Schwartze, director of Public Safety Joint Communications Boone County, Missouri. “The City of Columbia and Boone County are committed to helping all citizens, especially those citizens who need additional support during an emergency. When a citizen provides us with their critical health information in advance, the 9-1-1 caller taker can evaluate and react to the emergency based on detailed information, and relay those details to first responders before they arrive on the scene. Smart911 has transformed our 9-1-1 center and dramatically improves our response capabilities.”

The company says that Smart911 provides citizens with the ability to enter information that they want to make available to 9-1-1 telecommunicators through a secure Web site at www.Smart911.com.  Information can include children’s photos, medical conditions, disabilities, home addresses of cellphone callers, or other rescue-related information. Smart911 delivers this information automatically with a 9-1-1 call to the call taker’s work station at participating Public Safety Answering Points.

Smart911 is a national system — once the data is entered by an individual, the data is delivered with a 9-1-1 call to any PSAP that has deployed Smart911 across the United States.

“We are encouraged by the growth of Smart911, but are most proud of the lives that have been saved in communities where Smart911 is deployed”, said Rave Mobile Safety CEO Tom Axbey.  “The information provided on callers that have registered with Smart911, combined with the amazing dedication and skills of the 9-1-1 telecommunicators and first responders has proven to dramatically improve emergency outcomes.”