The expected release of Apple’s iOS 18 this fall will also bring more emergency dispatch capabilities. Apple’s Emergency SOS Live Video will enable dispatchers using Prepared technology to “see exactly what iPhone users see at emergency scenes in real time,” according to a statement.
Other companies in the 911 space also are touting how the new Apple update will serve their emergency dispatch purposes, too. That includes RapidSOS.
One of the general ideas animating these moves is that, according to the Prepared statement, “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.”
The reason for this upcoming upgrade is clear, according to Michael Chime, CEO of Prepared. Apple’s iPhone accounts for more than half of the U.S. smartphone market — one recent estimate put it at nearly 59 percent, in fact.
He says the collaboration will give 125 million people in the U.S. access to “live video functionality,” which in turn will improve emergency dispatch and response.
“By connecting with 911 callers to see live video, share photos, send texts (silence is key in some domestic violence emergencies) and get GPS location, operators can instantly understand the situation and dispatch appropriate first responders,” Chime told Government Technology via email.
The looming Apple release and its anticipated benefits come amid other changes in how emergency calls are handled.
For instance, RapidSOS recently said that it is working with Google to roll out Rich Communication Services, or RCS, to 911 centers this winter — another effort to boost the role of texts, videos and multimedia files in 911 operations.
Motorola, meanwhile, recently launched 911 software that uses artificial intelligence to help emergency call takers better sift through the increasing amount of information available during such communications.
The growing role of AI in emergency calls and dispatching also is coming into better focus via other fresh development from Prepared. The company says its new Prepared Assist cloud-based 911 platform is being used by the Metro Nashville Department of Emergency Communications.
The company designed the platform to handle some of the most pressing concerns in the 911 call center space, needs that continue to drive product development. They include real-time monitoring and quicker discovery of locations where emergencies are happening, keyword alert triggers and AI-backed audio transcriptions.
It’s still early for the use of the platform in Nashville but Chime said the tool has also led to positive results.
“Specifically, they’ve found it to be super helpful in monitoring new trainees and on non-English calls,” he said.
