Georgetown, DE (May 2, 2016): It’s often said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That adage is never truer than in an emergency, when every second counts.

The Sussex County Advisory Committee on Aging & Adults with Physical Disabilities will host a presentation at its next meeting, at 10 a.m. Monday, May 16, 2016, on Smart911, a free service offered by Sussex County that allows users to pre-load information about themselves and their families to help first-responders in an emergency. By taking a few minutes in advance, users can literally save lives with valuable information that is shared with firefighters, paramedics and police officers in a crisis.

Joseph Thomas, director of the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center, will give an overview of the program and demonstrate how the secure system works. The meeting will be held at the County’s EOC/911 center, located at 21911 Rudder Lane (Delaware Coastal Airport) east of Georgetown.

Smart911 is a national service that allows users to create a Safety Profile, which is pre-loaded with information users choose. This information could be helpful in cases when 911 callers cannot speak, such as a choking incident, or when a child goes missing. Users sign up for free at Smart911.com.

The Sussex County Advisory Committee on Aging & Adults with Physical Disabilities is an 11-member panel established by the Sussex County Council to be an advocate for programs and policies that benefit older and disabled residents. The committee meets every other month, in January, March, May, July, September and November. All meetings are open to the public.

The Advisory Committee’s mission is to increase dialogue, make recommendations to Sussex County Council, and to give support, assistance and advice on significant issues and programs that may affect the lives of the county’s aging and adults with physical disabilities populations.

For more information, visit the committee’s page at sussexcountyde.gov/boards-committees.

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