City of Gahanna public safety officials recently announced that Smart911 is now available to all individuals. Smart911 is a free service that allows individuals and families to subscribe to provide important information to 9-1-1 call takers during an emergency.

“Smart911 has been proven nationwide to shorten the response time for emergency calls.,” said Angie Collins, Dispatch Communications Supervisor for the Gahanna Division of Police. “The additional information added to the Safety Profile allows the dispatcher to get an exact location for the caller. Emergency medical information is also included in the profile, which can be helpful when responding to a car crash, a house fire, or any type of emergency that affects the caller’s ability to communicate with 9-1-1. The details provided within the Smart911 profile helps us respond more quickly and efficiently.”

Smart911 allows individuals to create a Safety Profile for their household by visiting smart911.com or using the Smart911 App. The Safety Profile should include any information the subscriber wants the 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.

Gahanna Division of Police Chief Jeff Spence stated that Smart911 is an opportunity for Gahanna’s residents to provide critical life-saving information to aid 9-1-1 dispatchers and first responders in emergency situations.  “By creating a Smart911 profile, users can supply very detailed information in a safe and secure manner.  Information such as medical conditions, pets in the home and family members in need of special care are just a few examples of the type of information that can be shared, that is then attached to a user’s telephone number.  The information can only be accessed by a 9-1-1 dispatcher when a call is placed to 9-1-1 from a Smart911 user’s telephone.  This is a free service offered to our residents that will greatly enhance our response to residents in times of emergency.  The system saves time which save lives,” he stated.

With Smart911, individuals can link both home and work addresses to mobile phones, which can be passed on to responders in the field for more a detailed, rapid response. Additional information including pets in the home, vehicle details in the event of an accident, and even emergency contacts can all be included in a Safety Profile. The subscriber has full control of what information is added to their Safety Profile.

Mifflin Township Fire Chief Fred Kauser stated that Smart911 enables the first responder to assess the situation more efficiently. “Smart911 is like having a conversation with first responders before you even make the 9-1-1 call,” he stated. Many 9-1-1 calls are placed using cell phones, but locating an exact address is sometimes difficult when the call is made from a cell phone.

Smart911 is currently available in 40 states and more than 1,500 municipalities across the country. Locally, the City of Gahanna will join Dublin, Hilliard, Upper Arlington, Washington Township, Norwich Township and Grove City as part of the Smart911 network.

Individuals are encouraged to create their Safety Profile with Smart911 and elect to receive emergency notifications. Smart911 is private and secure, is only used for emergency responses and only made available to the 9-1-1 system in the event of an emergency call.

For more information, and to create your safety profile, please visit Gahanna.gov or smart911.com. The Smart911 App is available on the Apple Store or Google Play.