D.C. released a new service called “Smart 911” on July 12 that will allow residents to give more information to emergency medical personnel.
Smart911 is a free service that provides 9-1-1 with additional timely information about a caller. This can help speed up and enhance the effectiveness of an emergency response.
In the past, when residents called 9-1-1 in the District, the operator received very little information about the caller. In an emergency situation, being able to provide the operator with other crucial information about a caller the instant that they make the call is imperative, including:
• existing medical conditions and disabilities,
•locations of bedrooms,
•residents with special needs and
•if pets are in the home.
The Department of Public Safety currently uses a similar emergency system called Guardian, said Sergeant Douglas Pierce, Supervisor of Police Communications, in an email.
It allows students to create a personal account containing emergency information that is displayed to emergency response personnel in the case of an emergency.
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