County now offers Smart911 service for free

The Charleston County Consolidated 9-1-1 Center has launched “Smart911,” an innovative tool to enhance emergency 9-1-1 responses. It allows citizens to create a free Safety Profile for their household that includes any information that they want 9-1-1 and first responders to have in the event of an emergency. The service is free.

Citizens can sign up for Smart911 and create a Safety Profile at www.smart911.com. Smart911 is private and secure, and is only made available to 9-1-1 when an emergency call is made.

“By utilizing this technology, the public can now provide us with vital information that they want us to know about them to better help them during times of great distress, when communicating simple details can be difficult,” said Consolidated 9-1-1 Dispatch Center Director Jim Lake. “When seconds count, the Smart911 program could mean the difference between life and death.”

How Smart911 can help:

• Medical conditions: for citizens affected by epilepsy, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, allergies or other medical conditions, Smart911 can inform responders of their condition as well as medications and emergency contacts.

• Seniors and elderly care: for the elderly citizens, Smart911 can inform responders about where they live and their medical needs.

• General emergencies: whether in a vehicle or in your home, Smart911 can provide details to responders such as an address associated to a mobile phone.

• Physical disabilities: for citizen with physical disabilities or mobility restrictions, Smart911 can inform responders of the disability and the type of assistance or special equipment they may need to evacuate the individual from their home or transport.

• Pets and service animals: for citizens with pets, Smart911 can alert police to their presence when entering your home and fire crews can be aware of exactly how many people and pets need to be accounted for in the evacuation of your home. For owners of a service animal, responders can be alerted that your animal needs to be transported with you.
  

Smart911 has been adopted in more than 1,000 municipalities in 38 states. Other areas in South Carolina using Smart911 include Abbeville, Aiken, Cherokee, Edgefield and Orangeburg counties.

Also in the news:

• Mayoral tally: With Charleston City Councilman William Dudley Gregory announcing a third bid to be the city’s mayor (Theme: “A City That Works For Everyone”), the field is starting to get crowded. Already in the race: John Tecklenburg, Dick Elliott, Paul Tinkler and Henry Fishburne. Stay tuned. More candidates are expected to announce.

• Read honored: Hats off to longtime leader Mayo Read, who recently was honored as the 2015 recipient of The 1850 Award, the highest honor of the Charleston Horticultural Society. More.

• That big building at foot of Ravenel Bridge: Wondered what that big building being constructed where traffic from Mount Pleasant dumps onto Morrison Drive. It’s 930 No Mo, a new, upscale apartment community for students that will offer a wide range of amenities. Check it out (P.S. disable your computer’s sound if you don’t want to hear annoying hipster dance music.)

• Pay your parking tickets online:The City of Charleston now offers a way to pay your parking tickets online. You can go here 24 hours after the citation has been issued and pay.