Smart911 Celebrates National Night Out in Communities Across the Country with Tips to Increase Safety

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Aug. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- August 6 marks the 30^th anniversary of National Night Out, "America's Night Out Against Crime," and in Smart911 communities across the country public safety agencies will once again be reaching out to help increase safety and family preparedness. Created by the National Association of Town Watch, the goal of the annual event is to promote crime prevention activities, police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie.

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In honor of the event, the experts from Rave Mobile Safety, creators of Smart911, have joined with their local public safety agencies to teach families about ways they can increase safety at home and in their neighborhoods. Some of the Smart Tips include:

• Be Active: A close community is a safer community. Join your Neighborhood Crime Watch, and if one doesn't exist, create one. Get to know your neighbors; there's strength in numbers, especially when everyone is supporting a common goal such as safety.
• Speak up: Learn your local non-emergency numbers and teach your kids how to dial 9-1-1. If something doesn't seem right in your community, report it to the authorities.
• Plan for Emergencies: Develop a family emergency plan covering how to respond to an accident at home, fire, weather issues and other unpredictable events. Update and review the plan regularly with family members. Also, keep a list of other important local non-emergency numbers – from utility companies to town/city services to close neighbor contacts – in a place that's easily accessible.
• Stay in Touch and Up-to-speed: Follow local police, fire and emergency medical service agencies through their websites and social media accounts. Sign up for an emergency alert service if your community offers it to get the latest updates and notifications. Don't hesitate to contact officials with questions or for guidance on what further steps you and your community can take to enhance safety.
• Teach Your Children: Emergencies happen, so it's vital that young children understand how to react. High on this list should be teaching them the possible dangers of strangers. Set simple rules and guidelines such as if someone asks for directions, say nothing and quickly find a parent or trusted adult to help.
• Sign up for Smart911: Create a Safety Profile to give 9-1-1 additional information that can expedite emergency response and save invaluable time.

Smart911 allows citizens to create a free Safety Profile for their household with information they want 9-1-1 and emergency responders to have during 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. To find out if your community is participating visit www.nationalnightout.org. Smart911 communities will offer children activity sheets, emergency numbers and safety tips; information can also be downloaded on August 6 from Facebook at www.facebook.com/smart911.  

"National Night Out has grown dramatically and with good reason: citizens are actively reaching out to their local public safety agencies to find out how they can get involved," said Tom Axbey, CEO of Rave Mobile Safety. "For parents, it's important to make sure all members of their family are as prepared as possible for emergency situations. This includes taking advantage of Smart911, and if it's not available in their community today, asking local public safety and civic leaders to implement it."

Introduced nearly three years ago by Rave Mobile Safety, the trusted software partner for campus and public safety, Smart911 has been adopted in 32 states and more than 400 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.

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