Introduction
Saving lives is all about getting information. When someone calls 9-1-1, the only information a dispatcher gets is a phone number and an address. The dispatcher has to ask a lot of questions to get additional critical information. What if that information came up on a screen as the call came in? That would save time - and if you can save time you can save lives. The smart way to do 911 is to have important information attached to the caller. This is what Smart911 from Rave Mobile Safety can do for you.
Solution Overview
The Smart911 solution starts with residents adding their Safety Profile on a secure and private data repository. They register their phone number (for free) and supply potentially life-saving information they want to make available to 9-1-1 in case of an emergency. When the user calls 9-1-1 from a registered phone number, the data automatically displays on the 9-1-1 call takers work station. This helps them respond more quickly and effectively.
Figure 1 - Smart911 Overview
The 9-1-1 dispatcher can forward the information to fire, police, or other responding units so they can be better prepared and render assistance more effectively – they get better situational awareness.
Information in the profile looks like this:
Figure 2 - Citizen View of Data
And this is what the call taker or dispatcher sees:
Figure 3 - Call-Taker / Dispatcher View
The details on each individual include rescue and medical information. Users can also include information about their house (I included a picture that shows where the closet hydrant is located), utility shut-offs, access information (which I also included since the cross street where we live is confusingly mis-marked), and any other features that might be important for firefighters or police officers. Users can also include information about pets (aka guard dogs), emergency contacts, and more.
For Example
1. Users can let responders know if someone is confined to a wheelchair, uses oxygen, is deaf, has allergies, what medications they take, and any other important information first responders should know about. This kind of information may have saved the life of a Homewood, IL firefighter who was killed in March of 2010 when oxygen tanks exploded while he was fighting a fire in an elderly couple’s home. The elderly man who lived there (and used the oxygen) was confined to a wheelchair and also died.
2. A deaf person who calls 9-1-1 from a cell phone can start text messaging with the dispatcher to communicate. This call-then-text method allows the call taker to recognize the person has requested text messaging and then initiate a 2-way SMS communication in response to an inbound voice 9-1-1 call.
3. Some recent life saving examples include: a caller who was unable to speak because of an allergic reaction, a caller experiencing a massive heart attack, a child with a rare-breathing disorder whose mother had provided detailed pre-arrival instructions, and a attempted sexual assault where the call was disconnected before the victim could provide her apartment number.
What Sets Them Apart
The Smart911 service is a SaaS (Software as a Service) solution so set up and maintenance is easy. This also makes the long-term TCO (total cost of ownership) lower. It can be deployed in conjunction with any 9-1-1 call taking and CAD system combination and work across all phone types. A great additional benefit of this solution is the ability to geo-locate wireless callers even if the call is dropped or requires a call back – situations where the dispatcher is normally required to go through a painfully long manual process of contacting the wireless carrier directly with a subpoena.
Rave is working with a number of regional and national associations to help vulnerable populations including people with hearing impairments, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, United Way, American Lung Association, and more.
Smart911 is resonating with a few other folks as well as demonstrated by some of their awards:
- IACP/iXP Excellence in Technology Award - 2011
- APCO People's Choice Award - 2011
- Mobile Star Award - 2011
- IDG's Computerworld 21st Century Achievement Award - 2010
- Stevie Finalist - 2009
- CTIA Emerging Technology Award – 2009
Rave Mobile Safety and Smart911 are helping protect millions of people right now. It works.
Client Quote
"We have found that additional information is especially helpful when we receive 9-1-1 calls from mobile phone users, citizens with disabilities or impairments, as well as calls from homes with young children and the elderly. Those individuals need special consideration and Smart911 can better prepare our team to help." - David Lucas, Director - Lexington 9-1-1, Lexington, KY.
"The fact that I can not only tell the responders what to expect when they arrive on scene, but that they can view the Safety Profile in their vehicles too is such a benefit. It cuts down on the time we are taking to determine the exact situation and gets our responders on-site faster." - Donna Hargis, Operations Manager - Public Safety Joint Communications, Columbia, MO.
You can also search www.YouTube.com for Smart911 and watch newscasts and interviews.
Final Thoughts
The more information you can get to dispatchers and first responders the better the incident goes. Give the people you protect a better chance for a better outcome – provide them the opportunity to help you help them. Do 9-1-1 the smart way. Take a look at Smart911.
Company Facts
Company Name: Rave Mobile Safety
HQ City & ST: Framingham, MA
Employees: 50
Phone: 888-605-7164
Contact: Tom Axbey, President
Email: taxbey@ravemobilesafety.com
Web site: www.RaveMobileSafety.com & www.Smart911.com
Clients: 500+
Years in business: 8
