911 call centers gear up for live video streaming from iPhones

In brief: Apple has long had a safety-first focus when it comes to its mobile devices, and the upcoming iOS 18 is no exception: it will support live streaming to 911 call centers when it debuts in the fall. Specifically, the emergency service platforms that enable these call centers will be hosting the new feature. Apple’s 911 live video streaming should also help alleviate the burden on the overwhelmed emergency-number system, improving efficiency and response times amidst a staffing crisis.

Apple’s Emergency SOS Live Video feature, announced at WWDC in June, is being implemented by 911 support platforms, including RapidSOS Unite and Prepared.

Apple’s Emergency SOS already had the capability of relaying a voice call, sending texts to responders, and sharing a location. Now, the updated version allows you to video chat with 911 dispatchers and emergency responders as well.

The integrations will be ready this fall when iOS 18 is released at no cost to the Emergency Communication Centers that access the feature. It will be accessible almost everywhere in the US.

There are some 5,700 ECCs that use RapidSOS Unite core modules, according to the company, covering 99 percent of the population. RapidSOS UNITE centralizes calls, texts, video, and data from sensors for faster and more efficient emergency response.

The video feature in Emergency SOS will presumably help lighten the load on the US’ overwhelmed 911 system, which is facing a staffing crisis as a staggering 250 million calls pour into 911 centers annually. Some 82% of the nation’s 911 centers grapple with understaffing, hiring challenges and retention issues, according to NENA: The 9-1-1 Association, causing 90% of dispatchers to experience burnout and many citing fatigue and anxiety.

While smartphones host data about emergencies that 911 dispatchers need, such as accurate location, photos, video access and text messaging, accessing this information and processing it is a challenge because most of the infrastructure in these centers still uses landline technology. Meanwhile, 80% of 911 calls come from wireless devices.

Platforms like Prepared and RapidSOS bridge the gap between modern smartphone capabilities and traditional emergency dispatch infrastructure. They have been designed so that the existing landline-based infrastructure of many 911 centers can handle multimedia data, including video, photos, and text messages.

The video feature, which works similarly to an emergency FaceTime, is part of Apple’s ongoing efforts to enhance safety, which include Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via satellite, available on iPhone 14, iPhone 15, and Apple Watch models.

Similar to iOS, Android devices also offer safety features, including the ability to initiate an SOS emergency by pressing the power button. This feature also calls emergency services and shares the user’s location and emergency information.