New 911 Technology to Help Emergency Responders

(NECN: John Moroney, Milford, Mass.) - Emergency response in Milford, Massachusetts will never be the same now that dispatchers in this MetroWest town have access to Smart911.

Smart911 gives first-responders instant access to detailed information about the callers in need, making them more effective in dealing with any kind of emergency.

"What we see across the nation is that there has been a very good reaction to it. People understand the value of providing this information to public safety," said Todd Miller of Rave Mobile Safety.

911 calls on land lines do give dispatchers a bit of information. But here in Milford, 70 percent of the emergency calls they receive come via cell phone.

"It's the cell phone calls that are right now the stumbling block, if you will, and this is just another tool to bridge that gap to provide us with additional information," Milford Fire Chief John Touhey said.

Under the system, dispatchers can see safety profiles and all kinds of information, including pictures, medications and even what kind of dog lives at the caller's address.

"The information is not stored at the police department. They create their own private profile. It's maintained on a data base through Smart911 and it only comes to our attention if you dial 911," said Police Chief Thomas O'Loughlin.

Milford is the first community in Massachusetts to adopt Smart911, technology developed by a Framingham company. But you don't have to wait until it comes to your town to create a profile at Smart911.com.

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