Smart911 is a significant jump forward when it comes to consumer awareness of emergencies and how to seek help. Municipalities are able to use the system to provide expanded information to citizens as well as responding agencies, increasing response capability and informing people better how to avoid or reduce their risk in an event.

In World War II, urban citizens in London, England, learned about impending harm from German bombs when air sirens went off in major city neighborhoods. During the 1960s and 1970s, the radio and TV alert signal became synonymous with an emergency notice as its irritating blurt woke us up to pay attention wherever we were. Today, local emergency alerts become personal, reaching us through our digital devices wherever we happen to be, if we choose to be connected. And it makes a huge difference, sometimes even in life and death.