Video Livestreaming Added to Whitfield County (GA) 911 Calls

A man stands in an emergency dispatch center.
Photo/Whitfield County

Via Whitfield County, Georgia

The Whitfield County 911 Center is excited to announce the launch of Prepared Live in the dispatch center. Developed by Prepared, the software enables the 911 dispatch center to livestream, receive multimedia, and locations from mobile callers in real-time. This addition to the technology suite will significantly improve the ability to effectively and efficiently respond to emergencies in the community.

“We wanted a different way for the citizens to talk to 911 – and this way we can communicate real-time information that we can share with responders,” said 911/EMA Director David Metcalf. “This is the next generation of 911, and I always want to stay in front of that curve.”

Participation in video-chat is voluntary and consent of the caller is required. If the caller consents, a livestream link will be sent via text from the dispatcher, enabling them to activate live video upon click.

The video call function does not provide Whitfield County 911 with access to the contents or settings of the caller’s phone.

This launch follows 20 weeks of preparation and training to ensure the dispatchers and support team are able to properly utilize the software. Working side-by-side with Prepared’s customer success team, the 911 Center has created and adopted policies to ensure that Prepared Live is used effectively in various scenarios.

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