Chester County emergency profiles: what Smart911 users should check

Chester County residents who previously created a Smart911 profile have a different set of instructions to review before an emergency. The county directs them to smartphone emergency settings or an online Emergency Health Profile, with separate account information for evacuation planning.

The county’s October 29, 2025 notice says its Emergency Communications Center uses RapidSOS to receive information that residents choose to share. It identifies Apple Medical ID, Android Personal Safety, Samsung emergency settings and EmergencyProfile.org as options. This is guidance for an existing service.

Check which profile you have

The county’s older 2024 annual report summary promoted Smart911. The later notice asks existing Smart911 users to set up their information through the listed alternatives. It says previously submitted Smart911 information remains managed by Rave Mobile Safety and may still work in other jurisdictions that use that service.

An old registration therefore should not be treated as confirmation that the current phone sharing settings are enabled. Review the method you plan to use and the information it contains.

Phone sharing has separate controls

Apple’s Medical ID instructions place the profile in the Health app. Open the app, select your picture and then Medical ID to review it. Apple distinguishes access from the locked phone from automatic sharing during an emergency call. Its current guide labels those controls Show When Locked and Emergency Call, and describes call sharing as available in the United States and Canada.

Google’s Android emergency guide gives a separate path in Personal Safety: Your info, Emergency Info access, then Share during emergency call. Google also warns that information made available on the lock screen can be seen by anyone who picks up the phone. That is a privacy choice to review alongside what responders may need to see.

For Galaxy devices, Samsung’s instructions place Medical info under Settings, then Safety and emergency. Samsung cautions that screens and settings vary with the device model, software and wireless provider. Use the instructions for the actual phone rather than assuming every Android menu is identical.

The online profile depends on your phone number

The EmergencyProfile.org FAQ says its free profile requires a mobile number that can receive a verification text. A 911 call must come from the number registered to the profile for the information to be sent.

The same FAQ says the receiving center must use RapidSOS and have the information enabled. It cautions that a newly entered profile may take a few weeks to become available to public safety agencies. Creating an account is not a delivery confirmation.

The service recommends reviewing the profile after major changes and generally every six months. Its instructions also say changing the registered phone number or email requires deleting the account and creating a new one. Review that account guidance when replacing a number, rather than leaving a profile tied to an old one.

Evacuation needs belong in a separate account

The county notice identifies ReadyChesCo as the place for access, functional and evacuation needs used in disaster planning. Existing subscribers can review that information under My Information. Our ReadyChesCo account guide explains registration and alert subscriptions.

A profile supplements an emergency conversation. The National 911 Program tells callers to be ready with their location, telephone number and the nature of the emergency, and to follow the call taker’s instructions. Our Chester County emergency texting guide covers contacting 911 when a voice call is not possible.

Find more local technology reporting in the Chester County coverage hub.

Photo: Dibya Prakash Sethy on Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. Illustrative stock photograph taken in Bhubaneswar, India. It does not show a Chester County resident, an emergency or an emergency profile screen.