Smart911Safety profiles protect people, pets, and emergency responders

With National Pet Week underway, Rave Mobile Safety says it is encouraging the use of Smart911 to protect people and pets, as well as public safety personnel responding to 9-1-1 calls. Rave’s Smart911 is a public/private partnership creating a caller database which, the company says, is already helping citizens and emergency responders across twenty-three states.

Currently, when 9-1-1 receives a call, only a phone number and some level of location data are displayed. With Smart911, citizens create safety profiles online holding personal data which is automatically displayed to 9-1-1 only during emergency calls. This can include resident photos, floor-plans, specifics on medical conditions and disabilities, home addresses of cellphone callers, and other rescue-related data. It can also include information on pets. This enables emergency responders to be more effective because they have access to a source of critical health and logistics information before arriving at the scene of an emergency. Knowing that a pet is on premise during an emergency allows a better chance of avoiding tragedy for all involved.

According to the 2011-2012 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association, 63 percent of all U.S. households have a pet, the highest level in two decades. The survey also showed there are 78.2 million dog and 86.4 million cat owners, with more than half stating they would leap into action for an injured pet.

Rave notes that through Smart911, when police officers or EMTs arrive on the scene of an emergency they know whether a dog is on premise and can take steps to see that the victim gets immediate attention without harm coming to a protective pet. Additionally, according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), there are an estimated 2,560 civilian fire fatalities each year, deaths that generally occur when an individual is escaping, sleeping, or is unable to act. With Smart911, firefighters know where bedrooms are located, who lives at a property, their names and such things as the location of a gas main. This is the type of information that can save the lives of people and the animals they love, and authorities generally agree that at least 40,000 pets die yearly from smoke inhalation.

“When emergency responders arrive at a residence with information on what awaits, their effectiveness increases dramatically,” said Tom Axbey, president and CEO, Rave Mobile Safety. “Pets can be very protective and simply knowing an animal’s name can alleviate a potentially stressful situation. Smart911 is a great way for owners to protect themselves and all family members, including pets, while facilitating the work of public safety personnel that are there to help during emergency situations.”