Municipal Consolidated Dispatch (MCD), Joint 9-1-1 Dispatch Center for the Villages of Harwood Heights, Norridge, Schiller Park, and the Norwood Park Township Fire Protection District, Encourages Residents to Create a Safety Profile to Aid in Emergency Response

Local public safety officials urge residents to sign up for free service that provides first responders with critical information in the event of an emergency.

9-1-1call takers play a critical role in society, helping those in need during what are often their most stressful moments. Public safety officials are encouraging residents to sign up for Smart911, a free service that allows individuals and families to complete a profile so that 9-1-1 dispatchers have access to vital information during an emergency. Residents are invited to create a Smart911 Profile for their household at www.smart911.com or on the Smart911App.

Smart911 is currently available in our communities as well as throughout municipalities and counties across the country utilizing the tool to protect millions of people. Smart911 enables the collection and sharing of critical background information so that when a citizen makes an emergency call, their Safety Profile is automatically displayed to the 9-1-1 call taker who can then send the right response teams to the right location with the right information. Residents can decide what information to make available in their Smart911 Safety Profile to enhance first responder situational awareness including:

• Emergency contact information
• Medical history, including medications, medical equipment, or other special needs
• Property layouts, access points and keyholder or key box information
• Number of people and pets on the property

When an emergency call comes in, dispatchers and first responders are tasked with responding as swiftly as possible. The more information available to do that, the better and quicker an emergency response will be. Smart911 helps us to know more about the individuals involved in an emergency so that we can arrive on scene ready to act. Every resident in Harwood Heights, Norridge, Schiller Park, and Norwood Park Township should consider making a profile so that if an emergency ever occurs, they can feel confident that 9-1-1 professionals and first responders have information that helps to inform a rapid, successful response.

The Smart911 tool has been credited with positively impacting emergency response in communities around the country. Examples include quickly locating an elderly person with dementia thanks to the patient's photo and physical description being immediately available via their Smart911 Profile, as well as expediting response for a heart attack victim because location information was readily available within the platform.

Smart911 is private and secure; it is only used for emergency responses and only made available to the 9-1-1 system in the event of an emergency call. The Smart911 App is available on the Apple Store or Google Play.

Ronald Gross, MCD Executive Director

Office: (708) 667-0520 Email: rgross@mcde911.org