NENA & Qwest Announce Connect-for-Safety Partnership
08/04/2006
As temperatures rise during the “dog days” of summer, so do calls to 9-1-1, according to data collected in communities where Qwest is the 9-1-1 service provider. Since at-home emergencies peak during the summer, NENA is partnering with Qwest to remind Americans of the importance of having a non-cordless landline phone in the home by announcing the “Connect for Summer Safety” initiative.
According to NENA, non-cordless, landline phones provide the most accurate and reliable way to dial 9-1-1. And most Americans dont realize that, according to a recent national survey. The survey revealed two-thirds of respondents dont realize that it is important to have a non-cordless, landline phone in the home despite the potential for summertime blackouts and electrical storms that can interrupt the power necessary for many phone technologies to operate.
As part of the partnership initiative, a special web site, www.connectforsafety.com, has been established. It includes information about the project, along with the 4-1-1 on 9-1-1, tips for calling 9-1-1, special Qwest phone giveaway programs and other information.
In its Kids and 9-1-1 section, the following tips are offered.
- Make sure kids of all ages know how to use 9-1-1. Help your children learn their address and phone number at an early age.
- Teach children to dial 9-1-1 only in an emergency. Help them understand the difference between a true emergency and a non-emergency call.
- If 9-1-1 is called by mistake, do not hang up. Stay on the line and tell the dispatcher that everything is all right. If you dont, the dispatcher may assume that an emergency has occurred and send a response team to your location.
Check the special web site www.connectforsafety.com for many other useful tips regarding 9-1-1.