When an emergency strikes, every second counts, and for many, those extra minutes can mean the difference between life and death. A new program introduced by the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) claims it will shave precious minutes off of the response time to any incident.
Smart911 is a new nationwide public-safety and alert service that the NCPD is currently rolling out. Already in use in more than 1,000 communities across 37 states to provide important information to first responders in the event of emergency or disaster, Smart911 was officially introduced to Nassau residents at a Dec. 3 press conference hosted by County Executive Ed Mangano at the Public Safety Center in Westbury.
“Nassau County is the safest large suburban county in the United States, and we’re here today to announce the rollout of an enhanced 911 system that will make our county even safer,” Mangano said. “Smart911 will further enhance our 911 system and assist the police in rendering aid to our residents in their time of need.”
Through the website www.smart911.com, residents can create a free Safety Profile and register vital details including their name, address, make and model of their vehicles, medical history, a list of pets, emergency contacts and even photos identifying users and their family members. The information on this profile will be immediately available to any 911 dispatcher called during a crisis from registered phone numbers, and according to Acting Nassau County Police Commissioner Tom Krumpter, this information is power—the power to save lives.
“By signing up for Smart911, citizens will be able to proactively provide us with information that will significantly assist us with response to calls to emergencies,” he said. “Every household has different needs; Smart911 allows you to customize your profile to your household. When you create a safety profile, you choose what information you want to provide us with. As first responders, this additional information can be invaluable, as it helps us better assist you during an emergency.”
For instance, Krumpter noted that Smart911 would be ideal for assisting with a missing person scenario; a profile can include the person’s current photo and a list of any physical or mental disabilities, and this information would be immediately forwarded to any responding officers involved in search efforts for the missing individual.
In addition, the Smart911 service could greatly aid during natural disasters, Krumpter said, allowing public safety officials to quickly determine power needs for medical equipment, evacuation assistance and sheltering needs.
For residents expressing concern over the security of such private information, Krumpter provided assurances that safeguards are in place to make sure it can not fall into the wrong hands.
“It is important to note that your safety profile is private, secure and only available when you call 911,” he said. “In addition, this is a nationwide service, so when you dial 911 from any location in the United States, this information will be provided to the emergency responders.”
Smart911 can be registered to multiple phone numbers per resident. Special features are available to owners of cell phones, as Smart911 can send important police alerts to such devices via phone calls, texts or email, Mangano said.
“Our residents can receive information in the manner in which they prefer, especially in a day and age where almost everyone has a cell phone,” he said. “That will give you the advantage of having all the technology that is available in a full 911 system, right in the palm of your hand…that will be a great service to our residents.”
Residents can sign up for the Smart911 service at either the Nassau County Police Department’s website at www.police.co.nassau.ny.us or by going directly to www.smart911.com.
