Public safety officials are encouraging residents to sign up for a free lifesaving service that increases speed of response in emergencies.in a letter to The Newtown Bee. "Telecommunicators [dispatchers] are the voice in the dark - unsung heroes if you will, the voice of calm during the storm.smart911.com.

National Smart911 Day was created to honor and support the exceptional work 911 call takers - a/k/a dispatchers - do every day and people who call for help can empower the first, first responders by signing up for Smart911.

With Smart911, citizens can link both home and work addresses to mobile phones, which can be passed on to responders in the field for more a detailed, rapid response. Additional information including pets in the home, vehicle details in the event of an accident, and even emergency contacts can all be included in a Safety Profile. Users can add as much or as little information as they are comfortable with.

First responders will then be aware of many details they would not have known previously, fire crews can arrive at a house fire knowing how many people live in the home and the location of bedrooms, and EMS personnel can be advised of allergies or specific medical conditions and police can have the photo of a missing child in seconds rather than minutes or hours.

Smart911 is private and secure, is only used for emergency responses, and only made available to the 911 system in the event of an emergency call.

"In an emergency, seconds count," said Maureen Will, director of Newtown's Emergency Communications Center, based out of the town's police station at 3 Main Street. "Smart911 saves time in emergencies and saves lives. We encourage all Newtown residents to sign up for Smart911 by April 30 to enable our 911 dispatchers and first responders to help them faster and more efficiently in an emergency."

Participation in this year's National Smart911 Day will provide critical information to dispatchers and first responders that could be lifesaving during an emergency. In addition, each new Safety Profile created this month will be entered to win prizes including an Apple TV, Boom2 Wireless Speaker, and Beats (By Dre) Solo2 Headphones.

On April 30, National Smart911 Day will recognize and thank dispatchers nationwide; raise awareness about the role Smart911 Safety Profiles can play in emergency preparedness; and educate the public about the current 911 system and what steps they can take to help dispatchers and other first responders respond more effectively in an emergency.

April is 911 Education Month, and Ms Will sees that as a time to educate the community of the importance of signing up for Smart911.

"Few residents understand how little information is provided on mobile 911 calls," she said. "Smart911 fills in the gaps and has proven to save lives nationwide."

Smart911 is currently available in 40 states and more than 1,500 municipalities across the country. The program has been credited with positively impacting emergency outcomes including a missing child in which the girl's photo and physical description were immediately available to dispatchers and responders, as well as a heart attack victim where an address and medical notes allowed responders to be dispatched to his location quickly.

Also being observed in April is National Telecommunicators Week, April 10-16.

"During that time we honor telecommunicators across the country for the job they do," Ms Will said in part

"Telecommunicators are the Thin Gold Line - the line that lies between the Blue and the Red [Police/Fire and EMS]," she also writes.

Ms Will is hoping Newtown residents will help her staff do their job even more efficiently by providing additional information that may save seconds when they could matter most.

For additional information about Smart911 or to register, visit