What is Smart911?
Today, 9-1-1 Can’t Find You
Over 80% of calls made to 9-1-1 come from mobile phones. When you dial 9-1-1 from a mobile phone, the 9-1-1 call takers have very little information to help you – only your phone number and a very general sense of your location. This is a serious problem in an emergency when seconds count, particularly if you or your loved ones have medical conditions, or are unable to safely speak.
How Does Smart911 Work?
Smart911 allows citizens to provide the additional details that 9-1-1 call takers may need in order to assist them during an emergency. When you dial 9-1-1 today the information received by the 9-1-1 call center can be limited based on the type of phone you are calling on. With Smart911, anytime you make an emergency call from a phone registered with your Safety Profile, the 9-1-1 systems recognizes your phone number and automatically displays your profile on the screen of the call taker who receives your call.
At a time when you may be panicked, or unable to communicate, or it could be unsafe to communicate, Smart911 ensures that the details you would need to tell 9-1-1 are immediately available in the event you cannot verbally provide them. Smart911 is free, private and secure.
Watch this video about how to sign up at Smart911.com.
How Smart911 Helps Individuals With Autism
People with Autism are 7 times more likely to encounter first responders. Smart911 provides vital information about the 9-1-1 caller when those encounters occur before first responders arrive on the scene. If the person with Autism is sensitive to flashing lights or sirens, if they don’t like loud voices or are afraid of uniforms, or they have a safe place in the home they will hide in when they are frightened, responders can be instructed to turn off sirens or lights, and where to look for that person. This is especially helpful in the event of a fire.
About 50 percent of people with Autism wander. If they have wandered from safety, a Smart911 Safety Profile can provide a current photo, physical description, and home address to assist responders in locating them quickly. Our officers receive regular training on responding to persons with behavioral or medical conditions. Having information specific to the person can make the situation less stressful for everyone involved.
No matter what the emergency situation might be, it is vital to communicate that this person has Autism and that there are certain things responders need to know about the individual. Smart911 can provide the crucial details necessary by 9-1-1 and response teams to assist this person.
With Smart911, you will be able to give first responders all the information they will need to approach the person and help them. When you call a participating 9-1-1 dispatch center from a phone you’ve registered with Smart911, the operator’s screen will fill with the information you provided about yourself, your residence, your vehicles, your medical conditions, and other people living with you.
Register at Smart911.com. It is absolutely FREE! Create a Safety Profile. Input all of your information. It takes only a few minutes and could save your life or that of your family members.