The Emergency Response Data Platform: Getting NG911 Data to Public Safety

Dare to be Great Silver Sponsor Guest Blog
Written by - RapidSOS

RapidSOS is excited to announce the next evolution in emergency response technology: the emergency response data platform. This platform connects almost 5,000 911 centers nationwide with NG911 data like device location, auto accident data, home security alarms, and more, in a uniform way.

Accessible through RapidSOS portal, the emergency response data platform empowers first responders with better data for every emergency, helping them get on-scene faster to protect themselves and their communities.

In our session “When Next Generation Becomes Now: What’s Next?” at Dare to be Great 2020, we’ll talk about how public safety leaders are using this data to save lives, allocate resources efficiently, and react faster to changing public safety paradigms.

What is the emergency response data platform?

The emergency response data platform is a clearinghouse through which emergency data is securely shared from connected devices, platforms, and sensors to first responders and public safety software. It sends a variety of different types of real-time, incident-specific data such as: 

• Device location

• User profiles

• Security system alarm information

• Medical and health information

• Auto accident and telemetry data

• COVID-19 symptoms and test results

• And more

The RapidSOS platform connects some of the world’s largest companies and organizations directly with public safety by sharing data from their connected devices, platforms, and sensors whenever their customers or employees need emergency assistance.

The RapidSOS Impact

The RapidSOS platform is used by thousands of public safety agencies that cover over 90 percent of the U.S. population, and the company is expanding coverage throughout Latin America and Europe. Our goal is to empower safer, smarter communities for all, by sharing data with first responders to help them with their life-saving work.

Today, RapidSOS connects over 350 million connected devices to 911. It strengthens safety features, powers panic buttons, and improves monitoring center communications for innovative companies. Our partners, certified as RapidSOS Ready, span industries like healthcare, connected mobility, home and commercial security, and more.

First responders can access this emergency data from the platform through integrations with public safety softwares or the RapidSOS Portal.

As Tom Wheeler, the former FCC chairman describes it, “...to be able to have the same kind of functionality that we take for granted in our smartphone, in our public safety system, that’s what’s exciting about RapidSOS.”

Why does RapidSOS share data to save lives?

Most emergency call systems were built over 50 years ago for landline phones, and have largely gone unchanged. These systems were built long before cell phones and additional data were even dreamed of.

In the year 2020, however, this system just doesn't cut it. While 80 percent of emergency calls come from cell phones, first responders are forced to rely on the limited context a phone caller can verbally provide to respond to emergencies. This often leads to delays in dispatch and arrival on scene.

But what happens when someone can’t speak? Or doesn’t know where they are? What if they’re in a moving car, or if they can’t even get to the phone? The FCC estimates that over 10,000 lives could be saved annually if first responders could get there faster, which is closely related to caller’s ability to share their location.

Therefore, we rely on the ingenuity of our first responders to act heroically, but we can help them better – sharing data can save lives.

First responders want better data, people want better protection

The emergency response data platform connects companies like Apple, Uber, and SiriusXM directly with public safety agencies to share data from their devices, sensors, and platforms. Having access to device-based location data as well as additional health, profile, crash data, and security information helps telecommunicators assess and manage emergencies more effectively and efficiently.

Read more: SiriusXM teams up with RapidSOS to share life-saving telemetry data with 911

In fact, according to a study of over 4,800 911 agencies, over 92 percent of 911 dispatchers agree that RapidSOS speeds up their emergency response process. This results in better prepared first responders, faster response times, and lower mortality rates for life threatening emergencies like car accidents and heart attacks.

During a year where a global pandemic locked many of us indoors and wildfires blacked out the sky, protecting ourselves during emergencies has never been as important. People want to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their vulnerable family members as best they can, and want their public safety systems to be ready to respond with the best intel available.

According to a survey by DKC Analytics, 91 percent of Americans believe a more advanced 911 system would improve public safety. That same survey found that 99 percent of Americans want 911 to automatically receive additional data about their emergencies when they call for help.

Partnering for Safer, Stronger Communities

RapidSOS is building public safety technology that expands on the life-saving work of first responders to protect our families and communities. . We’re helping our partners meet the rising demand for better safety features that can make a meaningful difference when their customers need help the most. The emergency response data platform allows complex datasets to be shared uniformly with first responders in a way that fits their workflows, driving faster, more effective response.

The ultimate goal is to create a smarter global emergency response system that can leverage all-source data to get first responders on scene faster, and ensure the right care is delivered to the right people at the right time. That means our FitBits and Apple Watches can share fall detection data the moment we call for help, and through the same platform our security systems share burglary alarm information.

This system can power the smart cities of tomorrow, making everything from transportation to event management safer and more efficient. As more partners become #RapidSOSReady, we’re able to share more diverse datasets with first responders, to help them prepare for any emergency.

To learn more about RapidSOS, or to find out how you can help answer the call to build the emergency response system of tomorrow, contact us today at https://rapidsos.com/talk-to-an-expert/