RADFORD – Public safety officials in the City of Radford have announced that Smart911 is now available to all individuals and families.
Smart911 is a free service that allows individuals to create a safety profile for their households that can include any information they may want 9-1-1 call takers and first responders to have in the event of an emergency. If they need to dial 9-1-1, their safety profile will immediately display on the call taker’s screen, thus saving critical seconds and even minutes in response to the emergency. Coupled with Alert, individuals can receive notifications on potentially hazardous situations involving weather and traffic and other emergencies.
“Smart911 saves critical time in an emergency when seconds count,” said Jenni Wilder, the City of Radford’s Public Information Officer. “The key information provided in a Smart911 Safety Profile enables us to know exactly where we are going and who we are looking for if a child goes missing or there is a house fire. Those details can help us respond faster and more efficiently. Sending notifications through Alert allows us to keep the public informed of emergencies and how to be prepared and stay safe.”
When a citizen makes an emergency call, the safety profile is automatically displayed to the 9-1-1 call taker to send the right response teams to the correct location with the correct information. Responders can be aware of many details they would not have known previously, and now fire crews can arrive at a house fire knowing how many people live in the home and the locations of the bedrooms, EMS can be advised of allergies or specific medical conditions, and police can have the photo of a missing child in seconds rather than minutes or hours.
Individuals can also opt-in for Alert, which allows citizens to receive timely and actionable emergency alerts via email, text or voice message on their cell phones. Individuals decide how much information they want to provide when they sign up, and the information is stored on the Smart911 secure online system. They can also identify when and how they are alerted and communicated with before, during, and after emergencies.
“Citizens will receive notifications that will improve safety in our county and help inform residents of potentially lifesaving actions they may need to take in an emergency,” said Wilder. “The information in Smart911 safety profiles and the emergency notifications allows both residents and first responders to be better informed in an emergency situation.”
With Smart911 and Alert, the community is more aware and better prepared in the event of an emergency. Smart911 enables citizens to link both home and work addresses to mobile phones, which can be passed on to responders in the field for a more detailed, rapid response.
– City of Radford
