With the start of a new academic year, safety is top of mind for both parents and school officials. Lafourche Parish Communications District is reminding families that there is a free service available to them to help plan ahead for an emergency. Smart911, the national public safety service, allows families to create a Safety Profile for their household at www.smart911.com , providing details such as photos of children, home address, medical notes and emergency contacts. If any member of the family dials 9-1-1 from any phone number registered to their profile that information will be available to dispatchers to send response teams to the correct location with current information on the individual in need. These details can greatly affect the outcome of any emergency, including:
A Missing Child
- In the event that a child is missing, having a current photo and physical description in the family’s Safety Profile can save valuable time as that information can be sent to officers in the field immediately to begin a search
Emergency Call from a Child
- A child may know how to dial 9-1-1, but they may not always be able to relay the information needed to get help fast. Details such as an address or medical notes on a parent or other family member in need can be included in the Safety Profile so that the dispatcher does not have the rely on the child for information
An Incident Walking To or From School
- If a child carries a cell phone and needs help while walking to or from school for a medical issue or an accident, the Safety Profile will provide contact information for parents or other emergency contacts who need to be notified
An Incident at Home
- In the event of a house fire, accident or other emergency at home, responders can be aware of who lives in the house, including pets, and be sure everyone is safe and accounted for when they arrive on scene
Schools can also be better prepared for an emergency with the addition of Smart911Facility. By creating a profile for their facility, school administrators can make responders aware of on-site contacts, building layouts, access points and even the locations of athletic fields and parking lots. Anytime any phone calls 9-1-1 from within the boundaries of the school facility, that information will also be available to facilitate a fast response. Schools and other commercial buildings and facilities can create a profile at www.smart911facility.com.
“With the return of school, safety is our top priority for all of our children, families and staff,” said Valerie Adams. “We encourage all families in our community to take advantage of Smart911 in order to help us better help them in an emergency. The addition of the facility profile will only enhance our response time and efforts to ensure our entire community will stay safe.”
Families can sign up for free today at www.smart911.com and provide as much information as they would like within their household Safety Profile. Smart911 is private and secure and the information is only used in an emergency. Smart911 is a national service available in over 1,500 communities across 40 states.
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