When dealing with an emergency, first responders need information – and they need it quickly. Smart911 from AT&T gives citizens the opportunity to create their own private SmartSafety online profiles that are automatically displayed on 911 operators’ screens if the citizen calls 911, so law enforcement, fire departments and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are better prepared to help.
At the APCO International Conference and Expo, AT&T announced that it began offering Smart911 from AT&T to 911 centers across the country. The service is designed to improve 911 call processing and dispatching effectiveness.
How Smart911 Works
Smart911 from AT&T allows citizens to go online at www.smart911.com and create their own SmartSafety profiles, which are collected in a highly secure Smart911 database. Citizens can choose to record their own information such as medical conditions, disabilities, special needs, locations of relevant rooms in their houses or apartments, and any other details they think 911 operators should see in the case of an emergency call.
Traditional 911 services provide operators with only the most basic data – phone number and some level of location information – when they receive calls. Operators then have to secure additional information from the callers, who may be frightened, panicked or injured.
Smart911 from AT&T shortens the time-consuming process of gathering background information. 911 operators whose centers have purchased Smart911 from AT&T can immediately act upon the data included in callers’ SmartSafety profiles, dispatching law enforcement, firefighters or medical personnel to the scene with important facts already in hand.
The data included in citizens’ free-of-charge SmartSafety profile can make a significant difference in how first responders approach a situation. For example:
- Allergies can be listed in a SmartSafety profile so 911 operators can properly inform EMTs, even if the caller isn’t able to speak.
- If someone with dementia can’t remember his or her apartment number, 911 operators can easily find this information in the caller’s profile and dispatch help right to the front door, instead of having to locate the floor and unit once first responders arrive at the apartment complex.
- Parents can include photographs of their children in their SmartSafety profiles, allowing 9-1-1 operators to send the picture to police officers if a child ever goes missing.
AT&T will deliver Smart911 from AT&T in collaboration with Rave Mobile Safety, a leading provider of software for campus and public safety.
