Smart911 emergency profiles provide first responders with more information, faster

Since the first full time fire department was established in Cincinnati in 1853, emergency responders have raced into unknown scenarios with limited advance information when the firehouse bell rings—until now.

Among the many advancements of next-generation 911 dispatch systems, Smart911, an app developed by Rave Mobile Systems, automatically displays resident profiles during an emergency—including details like medical or mental health notes, such as a child with autism, pets living in the residence or the specific location of a building’s electrical box—giving them a better understanding of what to expect before they arrive.

“We use this on a daily basis,” said Joel Vetter, chief of fire rescue services at Suffolk County Fire in New York, highlighting the ability to open a live chat box with those who text 911 and geographical cell phone locating as some of the most utilized features offered. The chat feature lets dispatchers triage calls, contact friends or family members and, if appropriate, connect callers to other agencies that can best meet their needs (if they’re not experiencing a true emergency situation).

As an example, Vetter recalled responding to “a silver alert last year—the son of the person was actually a paramedic in our system,” he said. “Within 30 minutes, they were able to find his father, who had wandered,” via geolocation.

In his coverage area of around 1.5 million people, with around 42,000 fire and EMS calls per month, Vetter said about 56,000 profiles have been set up by residents. While at first glance that might not seem like a great percentage of the region’s population, he noted that profiles are created based on households as opposed to individual people.

To read the complete article, visit American City & County.