Craven County’s 911 emergency response system has recently undergone a significant technological transformation with the introduction of Prepared Live, an innovative platform designed to enhance emergency response capabilities. This development has come as a welcome upgrade for emergency services, allowing them to provide more accurate and efficient assistance during critical times. The new system operates alongside RapidSOS—a well-established emergency response data platform that uses GPS technology to accurately pinpoint the locations of callers. For the past three years, RapidSOS has been instrumental in helping Craven County’s emergency services, and the integration with Prepared Live marks a new milestone in their ongoing efforts to improve situational awareness and response times. Stanley Kite, the Emergency Services Director for Craven County, noted that combining these technologies provides an unprecedented level of detail for emergency operations.
Enhancing Situational Awareness and Communication
Prepared Live boasts an impressive feature that enables live streaming directly from a caller’s device to 911 operators. By sending a simple link, operators get real-time video from the scene, offering a clearer and more immediate understanding of the situation. This visual aid is especially beneficial in chaotic or stressful scenarios like car accidents, assaults, or medical emergencies where callers might struggle to provide coherent or precise details. The live video feed assists operators in making better-informed decisions and communicating vital information to responders more effectively.
Alongside live streaming, Prepared Live also includes a strong text communication feature for when it’s unsafe or impractical for callers to speak, such as during home invasions or domestic violence incidents. This discreet texting ability can be lifesaving. In fire emergencies, the visual and textual data from Prepared Live give operators insights into the fire’s origin and progression, aiding the fire department’s response.
Notably, both Prepared Live and RapidSOS are available to Craven County’s emergency services at no cost, ensuring financial barriers don’t prevent the adoption of these life-saving technologies. The integration of these systems marks a major advancement in 911 call handling, leading to improved accuracy, efficiency, and safety for responders and those in distress. Craven County’s commitment to using technology for public safety and service delivery is evident, with Prepared Live already showing considerable promise, potentially setting a standard for other regions to modernize their emergency response systems.