COLUMBIA — Columbia Fire & Rescue has implemented Community Connect, a resident engagement platform designed to improve emergency response by allowing households to voluntarily share critical information with first responders.
The secure platform enables families to provide details about special needs residents, pets, property access, and emergency contacts—information that can prove crucial during urgent situations. "Emergency response effectiveness often depends on information we don't have when we're dispatched," Fire Chief Chris Cummins said. "Community Connect bridges that information gap by allowing residents to share what they believe would help us serve them better during emergencies."
Participation is entirely voluntary, with residents maintaining control over what information they share. The platform employs advanced security protocols so that information is accessible only to authorized emergency personnel during active responses. Residents can sign up at https://www.communityconnect.io/info/tn-columbiafirerescue.