Cole County joins free emergency service Smart911

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Cole County and Jefferson City public safety agencies encouraged residents Tuesday to sign up for their new Smart911 service.

Smart911 is a free service in use across the country, including in Boone County. It allows public safety agencies to send alerts via text and email but also allows them to gather personal information about residents that can help first responders in emergency situations.

Cole County agencies stressed the personal information aspect of the service in a news release.

“Smart911saves critical time in an emergency and has proven to save lives nationwide,” Jefferson City police chief Roger Schroeder said in the release. “The additional information provided in a Smart911 Safety Profile enables us to know exactly where we are going and for whom we are looking for in a house fire or at the scene of a vehicle accident. Those details can help us respond faster and more efficiently.”

Users can sign up on the Smart911 site and a Smart911 app is available in the Apple or Google Play stores.