[Originally published in the January/February 2025 PSC magazine]
Video streaming’s immediacy is changing the nature of public safety communications for better and worse.
By Cynthia Fell
For years the 9-1-1 industry has been told that Next Generation 9-1-1 is on the horizon — it is coming soon so get ready. Recently, the industry has realized that some aspects of NG9-1-1 are already here. Currently, emergency communications centers (ECCs) take text-to-911 requests; solutions that are free to the ECC have been released, making it easier to adopt this type of solution. Similarly, ECCs around the country are adopting technology that brings either livestreaming video into the 9-1-1 center or live 9-1-1 calls into the patrol car.
These solutions have been highlighted in the news as ways for people to get better information to first responders quicker. Chesterfield County, Virginia, has adopted a solution that allows the public safety telecommunicator to send a link to a caller giving the telecommunicator access to their camera and microphone for a livestream. When interviewed, the director stated that they will only use this technology on a predetermined list of call for service types. The telecommunicators are eager to use this technology; they understand the potential benefits. One Chesterfield County telecommunicator told a television news reporter, “I feel like we’re going to feel like we’re doing more because we’re stuck behind the console, and now we’re going to be out there with the caller, with the citizen in live time.”1 Concerns that police could eavesdrop on the caller or initiate video without the caller knowing has accompanied the development of video streaming to 9-1-1. Under Chesterfield County’s system, the power over the video stays with the caller. Before the video starts, the caller must approve the video use and can terminate its use at any time.
The February 7 episode of the “Inside EMS” podcast focuses on the deployment of video-to-911 by Orange County (Florida) Fire Rescue and highlights the benefits of seeing a patient before first responders arrive on scene. The type of response that is sent for EMS is solely built on the answers to a predetermined set of questions. If those questions are answered incorrectly (purposely or not), the wrong apparatus can be sent. Additionally, scene safety issues can be addressed if they are noted by a telecommunicator on video (see the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words).
The podcast goes on to list some of the benefits that they have found with videoto- 911, such as enhanced triage accuracy, supporting scene safety, improved telecommunicator/ patient interaction, improved response efficiency and enhanced training materials. For example, when a loved one is not breathing and a call is placed to 9-1-1, it is often hard to get the caller to follow pre-arrival instructions. Making a connection over video enables telecommunicators to convey empathy to the caller, leading to more effective communication.2
The fire service can similarly realize the benefits of video. Telecommunicators that can see structure fires or other fire-related hazards can more accurately categorize the severity of the fire and identify additional scene-safety issues. This is especially crucial in response to fires. The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) states that fires can double in size every minute. A properly classified scene can ensure that the appropriate number of personnel and the appropriate equipment are dispatched to the scene.
Livestreaming can also come in the form of live 9-1-1 calls sent to the patrol car. Recently in Oakland County, Michigan, officers using a live 9-1-1 platform were able to self-dispatch to an active shooter incident at a sprayscape, a recreation area for water play. As in the game of telephone, the message that starts with one source is rarely the same after passing through several messengers. It can be advantageous to field responders when they are at the front of the “telephone line”. Streaming a live 9-1-1 to the patrol car allows officers to hear additional informational cues — background sounds, tone, etc. — that they may not receive through traditional dispatching.
Subject matter experts caution potential users about unforeseen challenges during implementation of livestreaming. Operational challenges can include whether telecommunicators will be required to use video. Administrators will have to choose whether to leave the autonomy with the telecommunicators, trusting those employees to use the technology as they see fit. Others may list certain call-for-service types where use of video-to-911 is mandated. This will also be determined by the size of the department and their daily run volume.
The mental health ramifications of videoto- 911 have been a hot button topic for a while. There appears to be two distinct camps. One that holds the use of video-to-911 will have a significant impact of the mental health of a telecommunicator. The other that believes this is just another tool for telecommunicators and that the industry is evolving to match the technology that callers already use daily.
There will be an emotional and mental toll. Most telecommunicators currently employed signed up to be call takers and did not factor in seeing crimes and potential gore. Adding in the additional experience of seeing a victim, or seeing a crime, or seeing destruction from a fire will need to be monitored for lasting effects. Administrators will have to answer the question, does the benefit of video-to-911 outweigh the harm? Can the department shoulder the potential for higher turnover and increased mental health days?
On the flip side, does this technology empower an employee that truly wants to be an integral part of how the first responder ecosystem operates? Can the addition of video-to-911 break down objections to reclassifying telecommunicators as a protective service? If a public safety telecommunicator can see and interact with a victim of crime before police and fire arrive on scene, can anyone compare them to a secretary?
Administrators charged with the implementation of livestreaming of 9-1-1 calls will have to weigh all pertinent information before introducing video in their ECC.
The question no longer revolves around whether these technologies will be implemented. The question is how they will be implemented in the 9-1-1 center. The question now is, will you be prepared as a department and ready to deal with the effects, or will you react when these tools become an expected part of 9-1-1 processing? If you are a decision maker, will you put protections in place for your team? Will you plan accordingly? Will you be able to staff your ECC in such a way that all of the non-conventional ways of contacting 9-1-1 can be utilized? Will you train each employee to be comfortable in their use? Will you be humble enough to change course if things aren’t working?
Support and education are already in place to allow the industry to transition to NG9-1-1 solutions at the pace that is appropriate for individual ECCs. Moving forward will be inspired by sharing success stories and lessons learned. Networking will also allow decision makers to hear from their neighbors about how livestreaming has affected the daily activities of telecommunicators.
Cynthia Fell, ENP, RPL, is the Civilian Operations Director for the Plymouth Township (Michigan) Police Department. Fell has a master’s degree in employment and labor relations and a bachelor’s in criminal justice and a bachelor’s in psychology. Along with her 20 years in 9-1-1 telecommunications, she has been instructing in criminal justice for the past 10 years.
REFERENCES
- WTVR CBS 6. “How you can use the new 911 live-stream software coming to Chesterfield County.” August 28, 2024. www.youtube.com/ watch?v=6LK8bv5QEcQ
- “Inside EMS.” “Next-gen Emergency Response: How Live Streaming Can Transform 911 Dispatch.” February 7, 2024. Podcast accessed via Amazon Music.
