DuPage County Celebrates Telecommunicators Week

Submitted by DuPage County Board.

Wheaton – DuPage County asks residents to recognize emergency response personnel during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week – April 10 to 16 – by registering for a Smart911 profile.

The honorary week acknowledges the life-saving work of public safety dispatchers who provide a vital link between citizens and first responders. Officials ask DuPage residents to mark the week by creating a Smart 911 account, which provides important information to the dispatcher and emergency response team when seconds count.

Smart911 is a free, secure service that automatically displays pertinent and potentially life-saving information to 911 dispatchers when an emergency call is placed. Smart911 users create an online profile that provides essential household information about family members, their home, pets and vehicles. Starting May 1, Smart911 will be available to all communities in DuPage County.

“We’re pleased that with the addition of Burr Ridge, Clarendon Hills and Willowbrook, all DuPage County residents will now have the opportunity to be protected by Smart911,” said Gary Grasso, chairman of DuPage County Emergency Telephone System Board, which provides the service. “In the four years since we introduced Smart911, more than 25,000 DuPage residents have created safety profiles that have provided essential information to first responders during an emergency.”

A Smart911 profile can contain any information that the user thinks may be needed in an emergency, including:

• • Family members’ ages, photos or physical descriptions
  • Medical information, such as medications, medical conditions or disabilities
  • Special considerations like language restrictions, restraining orders or rescue notes
  • Information about their home, including address, utility shutoff valves and key holders

Users decide what they want to include, and the confidential information is only available to 911 dispatchers during an emergency call. The service is available to anyone who lives in, works in or visits DuPage County. Smart911 is a national service, and your profile will follow you anywhere Smart911 is available.

The rise in cell phone use has made the service especially valuable, Grasso pointed out. “More than 70 percent of 911 calls come from mobile phones, but a cell phone’s exact location can’t always be determined by GPS from a cell tower.” he said. A Smart911 profile displays the phone’s listed address and can track the call via GPS, even if the call is disconnected.

But the service helps first responders in many other ways. If a caller is unable to speak, first responders can be informed if there’s an underlying medical condition. In case of a fire, a profile can list family members, photos, bedroom locations and even pets to help firefighters quickly locate all members and rescue them safely. Profiles can also include children’s photos, which can be distributed quickly if the child goes missing.

“Smart911 saves time and it saves lives,” said Grasso. “The few minutes that it takes to sign up can be a tremendous help to dispatchers and first responders when they need it most.”

Learn more about Smart911 or register for the free service on the DuPage County ETSB webpage at dupageco.org/smart911. Addition information can also be found atwww.smart911.com.