Prepared 9-1-1 Lets Smartphone Users Share Videos, Photos With 9-1-1 Dispatchers During An Emergency
Editor’s note: The feature detailed in the below blog, where users can share live video at the scene of an emergency with the 9-1-1 dispatcher, is available only for iPhone users. (We learned about this fantastic service from Star 99.1). Here is what the team at Prepared 9-1-1 had to say about their software’s usability on Android and Apple devices:
Prepared technology works with most any smartphone and has since we launched it in 2021. The Apple integration is a feature that changes the way iPhone users are able to share video (and only iPhone users have access to that mechanism) but the existing method to request live video still works. If you watch the below video (I’ve set it to start at a specific point) you’ll see how that functionality works (essentially, the caller is texted a link, they click the link, and it opens in their preferred browser, from which they can share live video).
Prepared integrates Emergency SOS Live Video
The iOS 18 feature increases accuracy of information reported for emergencies in real-time to make it easier and faster for iPhone users to get help from first responders
Prepared App For iPhone. Image Credit -Prepared
With the release of iOS 18 this fall, 911 dispatchers empowered by Prepared technology will be able see exactly what iPhone users see at emergency scenes in real-time with Emergency SOS Live Video.
In the middle of an emergency call, participating emergency dispatchers can send a request for a user to share live video or media from the user’s camera roll over a secure connection. By connecting with 911 callers to see live video, share photos, send texts and get fast, accurate location information, dispatchers can quickly understand the situation, and dispatch appropriate first responders. Prepared also allows dispatchers to share data with police, fire or EMS to assess emergencies while en route, which helps expedite response while reducing the burden on 911 staff.
The sample images above provide a glimpse of how powerful these capabilities are, and what the caller can expect with Emergency SOS Live Video: one scenario displays the caller sharing images from their media library, and the other shows the live video capability. Both of these quickly provide the dispatcher with a real-life account of the situation from the point of view of the iPhone user.
America’s 911 system continues to face a staffing crisis with a severe shortage of dispatchers to handle a staggering 250 million calls that pour into 911 centers annually. A shocking 82% of the nation’s 5,700+ 911 centers grapple with understaffing, hiring challenges and retention issues according to NENA: The 9-1-1 Association. The situation takes a heavy toll with 90% of dispatchers reporting burnout and many citing fatigue and anxiety. Prepared’s Assistive AI for 911 allows centers to do more with less when every second matters. Smartphones host data about emergencies that 911 dispatchers need – this includes valuable information like accurate location, photos, video access and text messaging. However, accessing this data and processing it becomes a challenge because most of the infrastructure in these centers still use landline technology lacking the required level of sophistication. Ironically, 80% of 911 calls come from wireless devices, according to NENA. Prepared solved this problem with an affordable browser-based platform which easily processes and transports multi-modal data bi-directionally.
To see the Prepared platform, click here. To book a demo or speak with our team, click here.
Palm Beach Uses Prepared Assist to Rescue Swimmer Lost in Rip Current
Rip Current Rescue title graphic. Image Credit – Prepared 911
A rip current is a, “powerful, narrow channel of fast-moving water…Moving at speeds of up to eight feet per second, [they] can move faster than an Olympic swimmer.”
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, rip currents account for 80% of beach rescues and nearly 75 deaths every year.
Recently, the Town of Palm Beach Police Department received a call from a swimmer that’d gotten stuck in a rip current, drifted far from their entry point into the water, and washed up along the seawall sometime near dusk.
Luckily the swimmer had their cell phone and dialed the Department’s administrative line who, using Prepared Assist, sent the caller a link to livestream and share location.
“We were able to see what exactly what part of the seawall they were on and were able to guide our first responders to take them out of the water,” said Angela Olivares, Lead Telecommunications Supervisor.
The caller was not in need of any medical attention but the time of day added urgency to the situation, making a quick rescue paramount. Olivares concluded, “It was a really good case that helped us.”
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We are grateful to the Town of Palm Beach Police Department for their quick, effective work in rescuing this swimmer and are glad that the victim is safe.
To learn more about bringing Prepared Assist to your agency, click here.
Banner Image: Prepared Assist demonstration. Image Credit – Prepared 911
Prepared 911
At Prepared, our aim is to ensure that reality rapidly becomes a notion of the past. Those working to keep our communities safe deserve to have access to the best technology - not just the best technology available to them, the best technology. Period.