DAYTON — The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging residents to sign up for Smart911, a free service aimed at improving emergency response times.
The system automatically provides 911 dispatchers with user-submitted profile details during an emergency call.
Smart911 profiles are linked directly to a user’s cell phone number.
Residents fill out an online form with personal details, including location information, medical needs, emergency contacts, and pets.
When a registered cell phone dials 911, that stored information automatically populates on the dispatcher’s screen.
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Jeremy Roy, chief of staff for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, highlighted how essential immediate access to information can be during emergency calls.
“When you’re talking about seconds and people trying to get information to them, if something can auto-populate, no matter how minimal the information is, that helps that dispatcher,” Roy said.
He explained that cell phone tracking alone does not always pinpoint exact caller locations.
“With cell phones we don’t always know where you’re at with triangulation,” Roy said. “It’s important because what is given us is vital information that we may need that you may not be able to give.”
The service has received mixed reactions from community members in Dayton. Robert Lee, a Dayton resident, said he plans to use Smart911 because of his personal health circumstances.
“I got an amputation, and then I just had a kidney replacement and plus I live by myself,” Lee said.
Other residents expressed hesitation regarding personal privacy and data security. Daysean Driscol, a Dayton resident, voiced skepticism about signing up for the program.
“It’s just ridiculous and too much surveillance,” Driscol said.
Roy addressed privacy concerns, emphasizing that emergency personnel cannot access user data without an active 911 call.
“We will never have carte blanche access to your information,” Roy said. “The only time that information is populated to us is if that registered phone calls 9-11-1 to our dispatch center.”
Roy added that the service is free and dispatchers only receive details that users choose to include in their profiles.
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