A new smartphone app is now available to Knox County residents that allows them to send emergency texts and pictures to 9-1-1 dispatchers.
County officials say Smart911 lets users store key information on family members, health conditions and vehicle information.
The information only pops up when a resident calls 9-1-1.
Sheriff Dave Clague says the application, which is available in most states and more than fifteen-hundred cities, saves critical time by linking home and work addresses to cell phone numbers. That allows first responders to reach the person in trouble, quickly.
County residents can go to www.smart911.com to create a safety profile. Clague says the company who developed the app, Rave Guardian, secures the personal data.
Smart911 is part of the digital upgrade the county started last year to modernize its emergency dispatch systems.
The overhaul was paid for by a quarter-percent sales tax and is estimated to have cost at least $400,000
