Layton is First in Utah to Improve Emergency Response with Smart911

LAYTON, Utah, Oct. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Public safety officials in the City of Layton announced today that they are the first location in Utah to offer Smart911, the national safety service that provides more effective emergency response. Supported by Police, Fire and EMS agencies, Layton Police Chief Terry Keefe detailed how this new service will open up direct communication between public safety and the citizens they serve.

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"Layton City has always strived to provide the best possible public safety services to our residents, businesses and visitors," said Chief Keefe. "By deploying this new technology that has already been proven successful across the country, we are providing individuals who use Smart911 with the power to engage with our Communications Center in an entirely new way, including the ability to text message directly to our dispatchers after dialing 9-1-1. This will be of great benefit to hearing impaired citizens while calling 9-1-1. This feature alone can save time and ultimately lives. I am particularly proud that Layton is the first 9-1-1 center in Utah to provide this new level of public safety to our community."

Smart911 allows citizens to create a Safety Profile for their household that includes any information they want 9-1-1 and response teams 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 be aware of many details they would not have known previously, and now 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.    

"Every year our dispatchers take a variety of 9-1-1 calls in which the caller cannot communicate effectively," said Layton Police Lt. Shawn Horton. "If the caller is on a cell phone and there is nothing being said, officers must typically go through a time consuming process to identify the cell phone provider and send an emergency request for cell tower or GPS information in order to locate the caller. Smart911 offers citizens the ability to enable most cell phone providers to automatically 'ping' the cell phone used to call 911. The caller's general location is then available to dispatchers, and officers can locate the caller much more efficiently."

"Smart911 can give a voice to those who may not be able to communicate. If a caller has a medical condition that may be preventing them from speaking, paramedics can be dispatched with vital information to prepare for a medical response. If there is a fire, our crews can be advised as to how many residents and even pets may be in the home and in need of rescue, including a particular location," said Layton Fire Chief Kevin Ward. "Digital pictures can even be added to allow firefighters a 'pre-arrival' view of the home to better prepare for a fire attack and search of a home. Smart911 offers a greater sense of security to the community by knowing that first responders have the information they need to help residents and visitors during an emergency."

Introduced nearly three years ago by Massachusetts-based Rave Mobile Safety, the trusted software partner for campus and public safety, Smart911 has been adopted in 32 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 Layton City officials and emergency responders for bringing greater safety and peace-of-mind to residents and for leading the way in Utah."

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.

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

SOURCE Rave Mobile Safety