Emergencies don't announce their arrival and people need to be in a state of readiness to handle them. To this end, Washington D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced the availability of Smart911, an initiative launched by the Office of Unified Communications (News - Alert), (OUC) touted to be the nation's most efficient and responsive communications agency.

A service of Rave Mobile Safety, a coveted provider of safety software solutions, Smart 911 is an innovative approach, launched in Washington D.C., which enables the creation of a critical caller database that integrates with the 9-1-1 system, enabling responders to act quickly.

"Smart911 will allow our responders to save lives and resolve emergency situations much more effectively," said Mayor Gray. "This is an excellent example of how technology can improve a critical public safety system for the benefit of all."

When people call 9-1-1, the operator is typically furnished only with a phone number and if the person is in a position to speak, perhaps the general location, which is not very much to go on with.

Smart911, then, has been created for the explicit purpose of creating a safety profile that provides home and work addresses associated with the mobile numbers, specific medical conditions and disabilities, and more information about families. This is displayed to 9-1-1 during an emergency call.

Access to such information will help first responders in a situation where time is precious and vital seconds can mean the difference between life and death while for the person calling 9-1-1. Smart911 removes the stress of trying to recall information and relay it to the dispatcher during an emergency.

"Our goal is to help residents help us to provide the best possible service, and I think Smart911 does just that," said Jennifer Greene, director at OUC.

The information is kept private and is made available to the police, fire and EMS in the field, only in the event of an emergency. It works seamlessly in today’s infrastructure as well as future Next-generation solutions.

Tom Axbey, president and CEO at Rave Mobile Safety noted that by putting more information in the hands of emergency responders, cities like Washington D.C. could dramatically improve their ability to protect citizens from tragic events.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2012, taking place Oct. 2-5, in Austin, TX. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. For more information on registering for ITEXPO click here.

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