New Bedford firefighters ask residents to tell them about oxygen, pets and bedrooms before a 911 call
The department says signing up takes under three minutes, and the program's page says everything residents enter is voluntary.
NEW BEDFORD The New Bedford Fire Department wants to know who and what is inside your home before its trucks pull up. In a post Tuesday, the department asked residents and businesses to set up a free household profile on New Bedford Community Connect, which passes the information people choose to share to crews while they are on the way to a 911 call at that address.
The department describes the platform as free, safe and confidential, and says making a profile takes less than three minutes.
What you can tell firefighters
- Medical and special needs: whether someone in the home has trouble getting around, has special needs or relies on medical oxygen.
- Pets: how many live there, what they look like and where they hide when they are scared, so crews can find them quickly.
- The layout: where the bedrooms are, access gates and where the utility shut offs are.
- Emergency contacts: phone numbers for family, neighbors or a property manager who should be told in an emergency.
How the program works
Creating an account takes an email address, a phone number and the property address, according to the program's New Bedford page, which carries the department's badge and a message from Fire Chief Brian G. Medeiros. Everything after that is voluntary and based on what a household is comfortable sharing, the page says, and residents are asked to keep their profile updated when things change. Pet owners can add a photo so crews can spot an animal quickly.
The page says the information is used only to serve residents during emergencies and is never used for any other purpose, and that logins are password protected. It also notes that signing up does not guarantee anyone immediate or preferential treatment in a disaster and that people should keep their own emergency plan.
Business owners can sign up too, with profiles that can hold emergency plans, access and utility details and information about hazardous materials on site, and owners can get a text message if responders are ever sent to the property, according to the page, and burn permits run through the same portal.
How to sign up
Residents can sign up by scanning the QR code on the department's graphic or at communityconnect.io/info/ma-newbedford, where they can create or update a profile. The department asked people to share the post with family, friends, neighbors and New Bedford businesses, saying the more households take part, the better its crews can prepare.
"We are ready 24/7/365 to answer the call," the department wrote, asking residents whether they are doing their part to protect the people and pets who depend on them.
Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.
Notes
The department's ask, the list of what crews want to know, the sign up time and the quote come from the New Bedford Fire Department's post on Nov. 10. How the program works, what it asks for, how the data is used and the business and burn permit features come from the program's public New Bedford page, which we read on Nov. 10.
Corrections
No corrections to this story. If something here is wrong, tell us. Every correction is dated on the story and listed in our public log.
Sources (2)
- New Bedford Fire Department, Facebook post "We train every day to protect your home. Help us be even faster when seconds count." (Nov. 10, 2026)The ask to create a free profile, the four kinds of information (medical and special needs including medical oxygen, pets, layout, emergency contacts), under three minutes to sign up, the QR code and link, the request to share, and the 24/7/365 line. Read Nov. 10, 2026.
- New Bedford Community Connect, the program page of the New Bedford Fire Department and First DueFree sign up with an email, phone number and address; voluntary information; property, people, needs and pets sections with pet photos; data used only for emergencies; no guarantee of preferential treatment; business profiles with text alerts; burn permits. Read Nov. 10, 2026.