Town and County Officials Urge Citizens to Create a Safety Profile Providing Emergency Responders

with Critical Information that Can Save Time and Lives

CULPEPER, Va., May 1, 2013 – Culpeper County announced today that Smart911 is now available to all citizens for free to enhance 9-1-1 emergency services. Smart911 enables citizens to create a Safety Profile online that can include any information about their household that they want 9-1-1 to have in an emergency. When an emergency call is made, their profile is immediately delivered to the 9-1-1 call-taker, resulting in far greater emergency response effectiveness and saved lives.

“Currently when we receive an incoming 9-1-1 call, we have limited information. That is especially true for calls from mobile phones,” said the Director of Culpeper County Public Safety E-9-1-1 Communications Center, William Martin. “Having more information to better understand the situation is an immeasurable benefit to our call-takers.”

Nationally about 70 percent of calls to 9-1-1 are made from mobile phones, which provide limited location information. Including an exact address in a Smart911 Safety Profile can save time during a response, especially if that address is located in a multi-unit building or development. Information from a Safety Profile can also be passed on to responders in the field for more precise, rapid response.

“Knowing what kind of situation we are walking into can help us to better plan our response to save time and ultimately lives,” said Town of Culpeper Police Chief, Chris Jenkins. “I would like to encourage all citizens of our Town and County community to take advantage of the Smart911 technology that is now available. The information that you provide will better inform all first responders, which will assist them in providing the best possible service at the most critical time. Additionally, knowing vehicle information can assist us in locating an accident, and, knowing there are pets on the property can help us provide a safe response for the citizen and our officers.” 

Smart911 is a nation-wide service that is entirely private and secure. Citizens can create a Safety Profile at www.Smart911.com, entering any information they want made available about themselves and family members, a residence, even pets. This can include data on medical conditions, disabilities and/or special needs, children’s photos, home addresses of cellphone callers, home utility details and emergency contacts. According to the Fire Chief of Little Fork Volunteer Fire & Rescue, Doug Monaco: “Knowing how many people are in a home and where the bedroom locations are can make a significant difference in a home fire.”

Smart911 is currently available in 29 states and more than 350 municipalities. Neighboring counties are also in the process of implementing Smart911 for their residents and visitors. Having a Safety Profile has positively impacted emergency outcomes across the country, including a missing child call where the girl’s photo and physical description was distributed to deputies while the mother was on the phone with 9-1-1. The girl was recovered safely soon after the call was placed and law enforcement were far ahead of the normal timeframe when responding to the call. 

“By deploying Smart911 and urging citizens to create a Safety Profile, Culpeper County is demonstrating their commitment to delivering the most effective emergency services possible to area citizens,” said Tom Axbey, president and CEO, Rave Mobile Safety. “Municipalities are realizing how detailed information can dramatically improve emergency outcomes, and as this public/private partnership expands, we can look forward to increased public safety across the entire country.”

About Rave Mobile Safety ?

Rave Mobile Safety is the most trusted software partner for campus and public safety. Used by leading institutes of higher education and state and local agencies, the award-winning portfolio of Rave SafeCampus, Rave Alert, Rave Guardian, Eyewitness, Smart911 and SmartPrepare enables millions to feel safe, secure and connected. Rave Mobile Safety is headquartered in Framingham, MA. For more information, please visit http://www.ravemobilesafety.com.

Contact:

William Martin

Director of Culpeper County Public Safety E-9-1-1 Communications Center
(540) 727-7900

RICHMOND – With St. Patrick’s Day and the start of the NCAA basketball tournament just days apart this year, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is urging revelers to designate a sober driver before celebrating either event. Also, DMV reminds motorists to always buckle up; it’s their best defense against drunk drivers.

“We know that St. Patrick’s Day is widely celebrated, and the NCAA ‘March Madness’ tournament has become a festive occasion, as well,” said DMV Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb, the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative. “We want people who plan to drink to designate a driver before the party starts. A designated driver must be a sober driver—one who decides not to drink alcohol at all.”

In 2012, March was second only to April for the number of alcohol-related crashes. There were 746 drunk-driving crashes last March, including 6 fatalities and 511 injuries. On St. Patrick's Day last year in Virginia, there were 44 crashes with 37 injuries that were alcohol-related. On Patrick’s Day in 2011, there were 28 alcohol-related crashes, 15 alcohol-related injuries and one alcohol-related fatality in Virginia.

DMV recommends the following tips for a safe March celebration:

·Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin.

·Designate a sober driver.

·If you see an impaired driver on the road – keep your distance; pull over in a safe place and dial #77 if you are driving in Virginia to report it to law enforcement.

·If you know people who are about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.

"There is plenty to celebrate in March, but no celebration should lead to a trip to the hospital, or worse," Holcomb said. "When you drive impaired, not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest can be significant."

The tragedies from drunk driving are not limited to death, disfigurement, disability or injury. Convicted drunk drivers face jail time, loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, and dozens of other expenses including attorney fees, fines, court costs and lost time at work.

The 2013 Culpeper County Sheriff's Office Youth Academy is scheduled for July 29 - August 2, 2013.

The Youth Academy is structured so that young adults can have an opportunity to experience some of the training, procedures and technology that are utilized by today's law enforcement. The daily classes will consist of mainly hands on activities in criminal investigations, evidence recovery, patrol practices, defensive tactics and firearms. The participants will also attend demonstrations from the various specialized units that are available to law enforcement, such as the K-9 Unit, Motor Squad and SWAT. The participants will take field trips to the Culpeper County Sheriff's Office and Jail, Culpeper Courthouse, 911 Center, Firing Range and Forensic Lab.

CLICK HERE for more information.

The Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office Citizens’ Law Enforcement Academy is designed to provide its residents and business owners with the opportunity to learn more about the day-to-day operations of the Sheriff’s Office.

In addition to classroom instruction, you will have an opportunity to tour the Culpeper County Jail, Courthouse, 911 Dispatch Center ride along with a deputy on routine patrol, participate in a handgun practical exercise and much more.

This is a 10 week program for the residents of Culpeper County that will meet on Thursday evenings form 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The next Citizens' Law Enforcement Academy is scheduled to begin Thursday, April 4, 2012.

CLICK HERE for more information.