In Honor of Smart911 Day, Montgomery County Encourages Use of Smart911 to Aid Emergency Response

CONROE, TX-- Local Public Safety Officials Urge Residents to Sign Up for Free Service That Provides First Responders with Critical Information in an Emergency

Montgomery County – In honor of 9-1-1 education month, National Telecommunicator Week (April 11-17) and Smart911 Day (April 30), public safety officials in Montgomery County are encouraging members of the community to sign up for Smart911, a free service that allows individuals and families to sign up online and fill out a profile in order to provide critical information to 9-1-1 dispatchers during an emergency.

9-1-1 call takers play a critical role in our community, helping those in need during what are often their most stressful moments. All throughout 9-1-1 Education Month and in recognition of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, Montgomery County encourages the public to honor and thank our nation’s unsung public safety heroes by creating a Smart911 Profile for their household at www.smart911.com or on the Smart911 App that includes key information they want 9-1-1 and response teams to have in the event of an emergency.

Smart911 enables the collection and sharing of critical background information about those in an emergency so first responders have the situational awareness they need to provide the most informed response possible. When a citizen makes an emergency call, their Safety Profile is automatically displayed to the 9-1-1 call taker, allowing them to send the right response teams to the right location with the right information. Profiles include pertinent information that can help first responders provide a more personalized response, such as:

• Emergency contact information
• Medical history, including medications, medical equipment and medical conditions
• Property layouts, access points and utility information
• Number of people and pets on the property

Smart911 has been a lifesaving resource in many critical situations. The tool has been credited with positively impacting emergency outcomes. Examples include quickly locating a missing child in which the girl’s photo and physical description were immediately available to 9-1-1 and responders, as well as cutting life-saving minutes for a heart attack victim where an address and medical notes allowed responders to be dispatched to his location quickly.

“When responding to an emergency, every single detail matters. Smart911 enables us to know more about a situation and the individuals involved in an emergency so we can arrive on scene prepared with the right resources,” said Darren Hess, Director of the Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “We want all of our residents in Montgomery County to receive the precise, specialized care needed when reaching out for emergency assistance and Smart911 gives us the tools we need to ensure that happens expeditiously.”

Smart911 is currently available in all 50 states and more than 3,500 municipalities across the country. All information included in a Smart911 Safety Profile—from addresses and vehicle details, to medical conditions and emergency contacts—are optional, and the citizen has the ability to choose what details they would like to include.

The Smart911 App is available on the Apple Store or Google Play. Individuals are encouraged to create their Smart911 Safety Profile today 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.