TECH BYTE: Emergency Response Goes High Tech

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Requesting help in an emergency is now even easier than just dialing 911.

One agency is using this new tech to save time and lives.

911 dispatchers from Hamilton County in East Tennessee are breaking down barriers.

They now have a new way to communicate with people during an emergency.

Dispatchers can receive pictures and video in a text message.

“Once we’ve contacted them if the call meets certain criteria, or if it’s something where we think having a visual of the scene will help, we can send out a request for them to share video or pictures with us. We’ve done that quite a bit,” said Jeff Carney, Executive Director of Hamilton County 911.

Dispatchers send a livestream link to callers.

It helps first responders get a better picture of what’s going on.

“Real Time text is important to the deaf and hard of hearing community,” Carney said. “There’s a real big drive to make sure that they can communicate with emergency services in the same manner that a hearing, speaking person can. And of course, we’re conversing right now in real time.”

These new features are thanks to Hamilton County 911’s partnership with the tech company Prepared.

It even makes it a lot easier for dispatchers to communicate with callers if there’s a language barrier.

The text translation feature includes 160 languages.

“We want to make sure that we can communicate with the public in the best manner possible, and make sure that we can get accurate and real time information out to the responders that are coming to help them,” Carney said.

Before, dispatchers had to rely on a translator over the phone.

“We try to recognize the language,’ he said. “We get an interpreter on the line, conference them together, then we have to ask a question, the interpreter interprets it.”

For more information about this new service, and how it helps first responders, go here.