Atlanta Police Encourage Residents to Enroll in Smart911 Service

The Atlanta Police Department is encouraging residents city-wide to enroll in a program that provides household information to first responders in the event of an emergency.

The free Smart911 system allows residents to create a "household safety profile" that would give emergency responders information about who lives in the home, along with photos and important medical information that would be helpful in an emergency. The information would only be used in the event of a 911 call.

Members of the police department are visiting neighborhood meetings to promote the service and answer questions from residents.

"In an emergency situation, every second counts," Community Services Division Deputy Chief Renee Propes said in a statement. "Smart911 will help ensure first responders arrive on the scene with better insight of the situation at hand to more effectively address the needs of the citizens."

Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and Chamblee police departments, along with departments around the country, also use Smart911. City of Atlanta enrolled in the service in December 2011.

In an effort to reach households without internet access and senior citizens, the Atlanta Police Department will hold mobile registration drives over the course of the year to walk residents through the registration process.

The first registration drive will be held on Friday, Feb. 24, at Baptist Towers, 1811 Myrtle Drive SW.

To register your household, visit the Smart911 website.

Will you register your household with Smart911? Tell us in the comments!