<p><strong>COLUMBIA —</strong> Columbia Fire & Rescue has launched Community Connect, a voluntary resident engagement platform designed to improve emergency response outcomes by allowing families to securely share critical household information with first responders.</p><p>The platform enables residents to provide details about special needs family members, pets, property access, and emergency contacts—information that can prove crucial during time-sensitive emergencies. Fire Chief Chris Cummins noted that the initiative fills an important information gap: "Emergency response effectiveness often depends on information we don't have when we're dispatched. Community Connect bridges that information gap by allowing residents to share what they believe would help us serve them better during emergencies."</p><p>The system employs advanced security protocols protecting resident data, with information accessible only to authorized emergency personnel during active responses. Participation is entirely voluntary, with residents maintaining control over what information they choose to share.</p>