What is National Night Out?
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. It’s designed to make neighborhoods safer and more caring places to live.
National Night Out 2025 is just around the corner on Tuesday, August 5th! For agencies with Smart911 or Rave Alert, this is a great time to seize the moment to drive adoption of these vital community safety tools.
Why focus on Smart911 and Rave Alert this National Night Out?
Smart911: Providing 9-1-1 with life-saving information
Smart911 allows residents to create a free, secure Safety Profile for their household. This profile can include critical details – like names, allergies, addresses, pets, and emergency contacts – that would be invaluable to 9-1-1 call takers and first responders during an emergency. When a citizen dials 9-1-1 from a phone linked to their Smart911 profile, important information about the caller appears on the dispatcher’s screen, shaving off critical minutes spent gathering details from a potentially panicked or incapacitated caller. This means faster, more informed, and ultimately, more effective responses.
Smart911 is also the website where community members can sign up for community alerts.
Rave Alert: Your direct line to community preparedness
Rave Alert is a powerful mass notification system that allows public safety agencies to quickly and efficiently disseminate critical information to residents. This can include information about severe weather, road closures, law enforcement activities, event entry and exit information, targeted messages based on location, and real-time incident updates. By utilizing Rave Alert, we empower our communities to make informed decisions and take appropriate action during emergencies, leading to a more resilient and safer environment for everyone.
Your National Night Out action plan for Smart911 and Rave Alert:
National Night Out provides a unique, informal setting to engage with your community and encourage them to sign up for these critical services. Here are some actionable ideas:
- Engage local media, TV, radio, newspaper, and bloggers using our press release template
- Share videos: How to sign up for Smart911 and How to sign up for Rave Alert
- Share posts on social platforms: Smart911 social media graphic, Rave Alert social media graphic, Social media template
- Organize sign-up booths at community events with this Smart911 flyer, Rave Alert flyer and this activity sheet. You can also display this banner at the event.
This National Night Out, let’s go beyond traditional community outreach. Let’s actively empower our residents with the tools they need to enhance their safety and our ability to serve them effectively. By boosting adoption of Smart911 and Rave Alert, we’re not just building stronger relationships; we’re building safer, more resilient communities.
Let’s make this National Night Out a resounding success for community preparedness!
