WATCH: Plush Family Outlines Why Smart911 Is So Important

Oct 16, 2018

CINCINNATI – The City of Cincinnati on Tuesday kicked off the next wave of its campaign to sign up residents for new 911 technology, Smart911.

The City partnered with the family of Kyle Plush to create various public service announcements (PSAs) about the potentially life-saving technology. The videos feature Kyle’s parents, Ron and Jill Plush, as well as Kyle’s sister Alli and best friend Matt. The videos debuted at a press conference at City Hall.

VIDEOS POSTED BELOW

Additional PSAs will roll out every two weeks to continue the important effort to sign people up for the free service. Those will include Police Chief Eliot Isaac and Fire Chief Roy Winston.

The goal of the project is to get as many Cincinnati residents – and residents of Hamilton County (which also has the technology) – as possible to create a free safety profile.

“Having seen firsthand what call takers at the 911 (Emergency Communications Center) see on their screens, SMART911 is essential to giving our first responders information to get help faster," said Amy Murray, Vice Chair of the Law and Public Safety Committee. "I’m excited that the Plush family is willing to help lead this effort. This can and will save lives.”

More than 12,000 households in Cincinnati have already signed up for Safety Profiles but more work needs to be done. The Plush family's "Answer the Call Foundation" named for Kyle Plush will hold events at local libraries and other facilities to register more Cincinnati and Hamilton County residents.

“We are working to get this information out to businesses, schools, and civic associations as well. Anyone interested can contact my office to get information to share with your group,” Murray said.

The City’s Emergency Communications Center uses the Smart911 technology to provide additional critical information to operators, dispatchers and first responders when calls are made to 911 from a registered phone. Once a private Safety Profile is created at SMART911.com, the emergency information will be automatically displayed to the operator when a call is made to 911. Detailed information can be provided such as family members, photos, medical notes, pets, car make and model, and emergency contacts.

You can learn more information about smart911 and sign up for your profile on the City of Cincinnati website.

You can watch each of four PSAs featuring the Plush family below. To share or download the videos, click on the link below each video. You will be redirected to Vimeo.