South Metro Fire

New Program Gives Firefighters Vital Info

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South Metro Fire is rolling out a new program for residents to share vital info to help firefighters and first responders in an emergency. Residents can voluntarily share information about occupants, locations, and issues through Community Connect.

Why it matters: “Any information we can get prior to getting on scene of an emergency helps us form a plan of action and gives us a head start on mitigating the emergency,” said South Metro Fire Chief Mark Juelfs.

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What info: Residents can share whatever they feel is helpful, including the number of people at the location, pets, languages spoken, any issues that might require additional assistance—such as mobility, special needs, etc.—locations of people, emergency contacts, and more.

  • Examples: “Many times we respond to calls at a house where a person with special needs lives but we do not know they live at the address,” said Juelfs. “[Or] if we have a house fire and a person who is confined to their bed lives at the address having that information along with the location of their bedroom is critical for our firefighters.”
  • Beyond residents: Businesses can also participate, sharing evacuation procedures, occupant rosters, hazardous material lists, and more.
  • Alerts: Designated contacts can also receive immediate text alerts when first responders are dispatched to the building.

Privacy: Only South Metro Fire staff will have access to the information and Community Connect boasts about bank-level security.

Sign up: It’s free to sign up and share your information.

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