Sign up for Smart 911

Earlier this year people across the nation saw the story of Kyle Plush, a young man who became entrapped under a seat in his family's minivan and could not free himself. Plush made two phone calls to 911 with the help of an automated voice command because he could not reach his phone. Parts of the first call were un-intelligable and officers who reported to the scene did not know what they were looking for and upon finding nothing out of the ordinary in the parking lot left. After making a second call to 911-this time informing dispatch that he did not have much time left and asking them to tell his mother he loved her- Plush died of asphyxia due to chest compression. This incident caused outrage across the nation and in Ohio where the incident occurred, but it also caused his family to push for Cincinnati to implement Smart 911 for its citizens.

Every phone line in Elmore County is charged a $1.25 each month to go towards 911 services in the county. A few years ago our E-911 board decided to use a portion of that money to offer citizens the option of a smart 911 safety profile in case they ever have a need to call 911. E-911 Coordinator, Traci Lefever recently held an informational meeting for the public to learn more about the program in hopes of getting more people to sign up. During the meeting the importance of first responders having this additional information for a quicker reaction time was emphasized.

For the full story, pick up a copy of the Mountain Home News or click on this link to subscribe to the newspaper's online edition.