According to the latest FCC report, almost three out of every four calls to 911 are from a cell phone. Despite the shift, the way dispatchers and callers interact has not really changed.
However, Ravenna Police becomes the latest in a growing number of 911 dispatch agencies to enable their callers to upload pictures and live stream video to dispatchers during an emergency.
"It’s kind of a big deal for us," dispatch coordinator Joleen Clelland said. "I think it will be standard, it should be standard now across the U.S."
Clelland spotted an article online about the software company, Prepared Live, which offers 911 callers the ability to send and receive text messages from dispatchers, as well as the capability of sharing images and live-streamed video.
Here's how it works: After a 911 call is initiated, a dispatcher can send a text message to a wireless phone. Once the caller clicks the link and consents, that dispatcher has the ability to watch a live-streamed video from your phone to help better assess what’s going on.
"Why didn’t we do this before," chuckled Assistant Chief Jake Smallfield. "Eyewitnesses are historically unreliable. We get better information with the cameras now and that’s why everybody has a camera and everybody has surveillance videos. [Dispatchers] can get a better idea of what the officers are going to roll into if they have a live camera."
Ravenna Police 911 dispatchers currently service police and fire in Ravenna, as well as fire and EMS for Rootstown, Edinburg, Charlestown, Paris Township, Palmyra, Windham and Deerfield.
The program went live for Ravenna Police on May 19.
Prepared Live is also being used by about 32 different agencies across Ohio, including Bedford Heights Police Department and Chagrin Valley Dispatch.
Prepared Live is co-founded by Michael Chime, who grew up in Northeast Ohio.
"I grew up in a town right outside where there was an active shooter event back in 2012," he explained. "We were in Concord when Chardon happened. I was a middle schooler, and my school locked down as well. I think that in tandem with this being an issue that my generation faced, active shooters and growing up that I think that really spurred me and was the catalyst for me to think about public safety as a whole."
Since its launch, the software has already been used for a potential break-in, 911 hangups, and even a grassfire.
"When I started out 22 years ago, we had a typewriter and everything was done on a typewriter and now we’ve got how many screens in front," Clelland said. "[Technology is] always changing."
As the department begins using this new technology with its callers, Assistant Chief Smallfield shared one concern he’d like to get out of the way.
"I know there’s going to be a lot of doubt and mistrust," he said. "Trust us that we’re only going to use your camera. We’re not going to access anything on your phone but your camera. Once that call ends, we lose that right to operate your camera."
"It might not be applicable to every single call, and by no means to have for every single call, but it's a great tool to have when we need it," Clelland explained.
Clay LePard is a special projects reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on Twitter @ClayLePard or on Facebook Clay LePard News 5.
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