Grand Traverse County Is First In Michigan to Enhance 9-1-1 with Implementation of Smart911 Public Safety Service

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. and FRAMINGHAM, Mass., May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Grand Traverse County announced today that Smart911 is now available to all citizens free of charge to enhance 9-1-1 emergency services. Smart911 enables citizens to create a Safety Profile online that can include any information about their household that they want 9-1-1 to have in an emergency. When a 9-1-1 call is made, their profile is immediately delivered to the 9-1-1 call-taker, resulting in far greater emergency response effectiveness and saved lives.

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"Smart911 provides our residents and visitors with a way to be more proactive about their family's safety," said the Director of Grand Traverse County 911 Central Dispatch, Jamel Anderson. "During an emergency, it can be very chaotic and people may panic. By giving people the ability to provide details that 9-1-1 and responders may need prior to an emergency, we can immediately relay critical information to better assist them."

Smart911 allows citizens to create a Safety Profile for their household that includes any information they want 9-1-1 and emergency responders to have in the event of an emergency. 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. Responders can now be aware of many critical details they may not have known previously. Fire crews can arrive at a house fire knowing how many people live in the home and the location of 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.   

"When an emergency arises, a caller sometimes can't communicate for various reasons," said Undersheriff Nate Alger, Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office. "Smart911 immediately provides important details so our response can be tailored accordingly. We can now have the home address of a mobile phone caller, and can approach the scene of an emergency knowing more about a household, including who lives there and even pets that may be in the home, which provides greater safety for our officers."

"There are so many details that can help us make the best use of our resources when responding to an emergency that we don't often know about ahead of time," said Chief Jim Tuller of the Traverse City Fire Department. "Information such as the type of residence, access points, bedroom locations or utility shut offs can save time getting to the person in need."

"Being able to immediately be advised of medical conditions such as allergies, medications or disabilities can help us assess the situation faster and more accurately," stated Blair Township Medical Director and Assistant Fire Chief, Daryl Case, one of the original local supporters of Smart911.

Introduced nearly three years ago by Framingham-based Rave Mobile Safety, the trusted software partner for campus and public safety, Smart911 has been adopted in 29 states and more than 350 municipalities. It has been credited with positively impacting emergency situations across the U.S., including a missing child case in Arkansas, and saving lives, such as a heart attack victim in Nashville.

"When citizens put more information in the hands of emergency responders prior to an emergency, they are enabling faster and more knowledgeable response for themselves and their families," said Tom Axbey, president and CEO, Rave Mobile Safety. "We applaud Grand Traverse County officials and emergency responders for bringing greater safety and peace-of-mind to residents and visitors, and for leading the way in Michigan."

Residents are encouraged to create their Safety Profile with Smart911 today to have their information immediately available to 9-1-1. Smart911 data is private and secure, is only used for emergency responses and available to the 9-1-1 system in the event of an emergency call.

About Rave Mobile Safety 

Rave Mobile Safety is the most trusted software partner for campus and public safety. Used by leading institutes of higher education and state and local agencies, the award-winning portfolio of Rave SafeCampus, Rave Alert, Rave Guardian, Eyewitness, Smart911 and SmartPrepare enables millions to feel safe, secure and connected. Rave Mobile Safety is headquartered in Framingham, MA. For more information, please visit http://www.ravemobilesafety.com.

Contact:
Marty Querzoli
Davies Murphy Group
Public Relations for Rave Mobile Safety
[email protected]
(781) 418-2433

SOURCE Rave Mobile Safety

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