With the start of the new school year, safety is top of mind for parents. Lake County Public Safety is reminding families that there is a free service available to help plan ahead for an emergency.
Smart911, a national public safety service, allows families to create a Safety Profile for their household at www.smart911.com, providing details such as photos of children, home address, medical notes and emergency contacts. If a member of the family dials 9-1-1 from any phone number registered to their profile, that information will be available to dispatchers to send response teams to the correct location with current information about the individual in need. These details can greatly affect the outcome of any emergency, including incidents at school or at home.
A child may know how to dial 9-1-1, but they may not always be able to relay the information needed to get help fast. Details such as an address or medical notes on a parent or other family member in need can be included in the Safety Profile so that the dispatcher does not have to rely on the child for information.
In the case of a missing child, having a current photo and physical description in the family’s Safety Profile can save valuable time, as that information can be sent immediately to first responders in the field. In the event of a house fire, accident or other emergency at home, responders will be aware of who lives in the house, including pets, and be sure everyone is safe and accounted for when they arrive on scene.
“With school beginning in August, safety is a top priority communitywide,” said Greg Holcomb, Lake County Public Safety Communications Technologies Manager/E911 Coordinator. “We encourage all Lake County families to take advantage of Smart911 to help us better help them in the case of an emergency.”
Families can sign up for free at www.smart911.com and provide as much information as they wish. Smart911 is private and secure and Safety Profile information is only available to emergency personnel when a 9-1-1 call is made. Smart911 is a national service available in over 1,500 communities across 40 states, including Lake County, which joined the network in 2012.
