Smart911 is a public-private partnership, developed by Rave Mobile Safety, that creates a citizen database that integrates with the 911 system. The caller’s safety profile is immediately displayed during a 911 call, and information such as existing medical conditions and disabilities, locations of bedrooms, residents with special needs and even if pets are in the home, offer emergency medical technicians and firefighters important insight into the situation.
Police benefit by knowing from the safety profile if the caller has been threatened previously, and officers have access to photos of children and their personal information should they go missing.
Washington, D.C., joins Arkansas, Florida and Colorado in recent deployments of Smart911.
“Smart911 will allow our responders to save lives and resolve emergency situations much more effectively,” said D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray in a press release. “This is an excellent example of how technology can improve a critical public safety system for the benefit of all.”
Residents are urged to create their safety profile immediately. The data is private and secure, and will only be used for emergency purposes and made available only during an emergency call.
“Our goal is to help residents help us to provide the best possible service, and I think Smart911 does just that,” said Jennifer Greene, director of the district’s Office of Unified Communications, in a press release. “This is an innovative approach to enhancing public safety.”
