Suffolk Residents Urged To Use App That Aids 911 Dispatchers & First Responders

Suffolk residents are being asked to use a special county program that officials say could save lives amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Smart911 app provides dispatchers and first responders with powerful capabilities for handling, dispatching and responding to emergency calls. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone is urging residents to sign up for Smart911 amid the coronavirus outbreak.  Users create a safety profile that can include phone numbers, addresses, medical conditions, hospital preferences and even pet information. When a 911 call is received and the telephone number is in the national Smart911 database, and the safety profile instantly displays to the dispatcher. That information is relayed to responders so they know how best to approach the emergency. Bellone also says residents can text COVIDSUFFOLK to 67283 for the latest updates on the outbreak.