Free Service is offered for all DuPage County residents
West Chicago, Illinois: December 21, 2016 – DuPage County is urging residents to make the New Year safer by signing up for Smart911. Smart911 is a free public safety service available to anyone who lives, works or visits DuPage County. Users create a secure, private online safety profile that includes essential household information about family members, home, pets and vehicles. When users call 911, the profile appears on the dispatcher’s screen, and the dispatcher can convey any critical information to first responders answering the call. Smart911 users can create their profile at www.smart911.com. Users decide what important information they share, but they can include anything that may be needed in an emergency, including:
- Family members’ ages, photos or physical descriptions
- Information about their home, including address, utility shutoff valves and key holders
- Medical information, such as medications, medical conditions or disabilities
- Special considerations like language restrictions, restraining orders or rescue notes
Smart 911 is valuable when unresponsive callers are unable to speak due to a medical condition, or in a house fire when first responders need to locate family members or pets. Because users can include photos in their profiles, Smart911 can also save valuable time if a child goes missing. One other important feature: More than 70 percent of 911 calls come from mobile phones. That cell phone’s exact location can’t always be determined by GPS from a cell tower. Smart911 displays the listed address of the mobile phone in the profile and can track the call via GPS, even if the call is disconnected. “Saving response time saves lives, and when you sign up for Smart911, you’re helping first responders help you faster,” said Gary Grasso, chairman of the DuPage County Emergency Telephone Service Board, which provides the service. “Smart911 can be a lifesaver when seconds count. Using this free service can save your life and the lives of your loved ones.”
DuPage County was the first county in Illinois to offer Smart911; since its introduction in 2011, more than 29,000 residents have created safety profiles. Learn more on the DuPage ETSB webpage at www.dupageco.org/smart911 and register at www.smart911.com.
