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07/9/2024
Top Highlights from NENA 2024: The Role of the Connected First Responder

Hey everyone! We just got back from the NENA 2024 conference that took place over the course of five days in sunny Orlando, FL. The NENA conference boasts more than ninety hours of breakout sessions and is where public safety leaders go to hear about the current and future state of public safety, meet real-life heroes who inspire others, and share the newest innovations changing the way we protect our communities. While in years past the NENA conference focused on the promise of NG911, this year centered on the role of the connected first responder and how recent innovations are delivering on what was once the promise of 911.  

Here is a recap from NENA 2024 of five ways the connected first responder is changing the way we think about and plan for emergency response:

1. Communication tools like text and live video enhance situational awareness and response accuracy

The digital age has ushered in a new set of expectations for emergency response, where precision, accuracy, and access to real-time data and applications are necessary to meet modern needs. In the session, "Exploring the Life-Saving Impact of NextGen 911," Steve Raucher, RapidDeploy CEO and Co-Founder, led a discussion with Meghan Gonzalez, 911 Communications Officer II from Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, and Corey Dobridnia, Public Information Officer from Walton County Sheriff’s Office, where the two shared their firsthand accounts of how modern communication tools like text-from-911 and RapidVideo, RapidDeploy’s live video tool, had a real life-saving impact. The session highlighted the life-changing potential of NG911 and how innovative NG911 solutions are setting new standards for emergency services.  

The stories and insights shared in this session exemplify the heroism, resilience, and technological adeptness that define the role of the connected first responder and the critical, lifesaving work of telecommunicators. RapidDeploy was honored to recognize individuals from these PSAPs with our quarterly Superstar Award.

Want to hear the full stories? Watch the recap videos on our blog post Celebrating Our RapidDeploy Superstars During Telecommunicators Week.

2. Real-time vehicle telematics data transforms incident response

One of the standout moments at NENA 2024 was the session on "Using Vehicle Telematics to Transform Incident Response." This session was part of the Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Situational Awareness track, and focused on how telematics data—like location, speed, incident severity info, and driving behaviors—helps emergency teams gather the intelligence they need to enable faster response times, assist law enforcement, and improve standard operating procedures. Todd Komanetsky, VP of Partnerships at RapidDeploy, and Jim Lanier, Global Public Safety Engagement/Strategy Manager at OnStar, showed insights on how shared vehicle telematics between PSAPs and field responders can drastically improve response times and resource allocation.

Learn more about RapidDeploy’s partnership with OnStar, and our other partners, here: https://rapiddeploy.com/partners

3. 911 call data and actionable intelligence maximize collaboration and communication between PSAPs and Field Responders

NG911 technology connects all first responders with the same data, in real-time, through instant access and communication with each other. In the Innovation Theater on July 1, Steve Raucher spoke about the transformative impact of advanced connectivity and real-time data integration for the effectiveness and safety of first responders. RapidDeploy’s mobile application for field responders, Lightning, was highlighted in this session for its critical role in extending NG911 to the field.  Today, when responding to an emergency, first responders have little direct visibility into the scene, minimal information about the victim, lack instant information on location, and have limited communication options. With Lightning, first responders move beyond the incident location with mission-critical information directly from the PSAP into the palm of their hand, for a faster, more effective, and safer response.

See a short highlight reel here of Lightning in Action.  

4. Collaborative partnerships play a key role in the future of the connected first responder

Throughout the entire event, we saw firsthand how unity, inclusion and partnerships bring people, technology, and the public safety community together. RapidDeploy’s first-ever scavenger hunt at NENA 2024 was a huge success and an example of partnerships both in and out of the innovation room. Attendees participating in the Scavenger Hunt visited our booth to solve riddles and discover our suite of NG911 solutions, including Radius Mapping, Lightning, and Eclipse Analytics. The interactive Scavenger Hunt riddle then led game players to explore and engage with RapidDeploy partners located on the showroom floor, including DATAMARK, AT&T,  OnStar, EagleView, and CRG. Participants who completed the Scavenger Hunt were rewarded with RapidDeploy “I Saw Lightning in Orlando” T-shirts. It was fantastic to see attendees proudly wearing the Lightning logo, fostering a sense of community and shared excitement.

In addition to the scavenger hunt, we hosted several insightful demos at our booth. Lee Anne Storey, our Training Specialist, and Jenni Wade, our Customer Success Manager, led in-depth sessions on mapping & analytics best practices. They shared valuable insights on ways to better utilize mapping and analytics, providing attendees with a comprehensive understanding of how to leverage these tools effectively.

The combination of the Scavenger Hunt and the engaging demos made learning about RapidDeploy both enjoyable and informative. Attendees left with a clearer understanding of how RapidDeploy is transforming emergency response through our innovative solutions.

However, NENA 2024 wasn’t just about sessions and tech—networking was a huge part of the experience. The LGBTQ+ Mixer and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mixer were fantastic opportunities for attendees to connect and discuss important topics around diversity and inclusion in emergency services. The mixers were lively, with lots of great conversations and new connections being made. The Young Professionals Pool Party was another highlight, providing a fun and relaxed setting for the next generation of leaders to meet, share ideas, and unwind. It was great to see so many people from different backgrounds coming together to shape the future of public safety.

5. The connected first responder is committed to safety and innovation

The big theme at NENA 2024 was leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance public safety, and we’re all in. Our Radius Mapping NG911 technology unifies communication and precision location data and creates a seamless emergency response experience. Tools like the Lightning app give first responders crucial information in real-time, making sure they have everything they need right when they need it. We’re dedicated to continuous improvement, and we’re just getting started! Our mission is to save lives by reducing response times and to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of emergency services.

We’ve put together a recap video of all the excitement at NENA 2024. Check it out below!

Let’s Connect!

Want to know more about what we do? Visit our website or reach out to schedule a demo. We’d love to chat!

05/23/2024
Save Stories
Trends
Celebrating Life-Saving Moments with RapidDeploy's NG911 Technology

At RapidDeploy, every year we receive hundreds of save stories from our customers, sharing with us how telecommunicators, field responders and 911 agencies are using our Next Generation 911 technology to aid in emergency situations, and how these technologies played a crucial role in their emergency responses.  

In this blog post, we want to highlight some recent examples of save stories that showcase the profound impact of collaboration, precision, and advanced technology in saving lives. Here, we highlight four remarkable incidents from Florida and Arizona, demonstrating how RapidDeploy aids in these critical moments.

1. Cross-County Collaboration Saves Child in Florida

In a tense situation where every moment matters, RapidDeploy’s Radius Mapping was instrumental in rescuing a child who had sustained a head injury. The incident began with a misrouted call from a cell phone, reporting that a child had fallen into a pool. Despite losing the connection and failing to re-establish contact after two attempts, the telecommunicator from Santa Rosa County, Florida, utilized RapidLocate, RapidDeploy’s proprietary location technology, to pinpoint the caller’s location within Radius Mapping, and trace the call's origin—surprisingly nearly 100 miles away in Bay County!

The Challenge of Misrouted Calls
Misrouted calls present a unique challenge in emergency response. Often, cell phone calls connect to a cell tower that might not accurately reflect the caller's actual location, which can mislead responders into deploying resources to an incorrect area. This can have severe consequences in time-sensitive situations where minutes, or even seconds, count.

In this instance, the telecommunicator leveraged RapidDeploy's Radius Mapping to quickly identify that the call originated outside of Santa Rosa County's jurisdiction. By identifying the exact location in Bay County, the telecommunicator immediately alerted emergency response counterparts in that region.

Coordinated Response Across County Lines
Upon arrival at the scene, the emergency response teams discovered the child had fallen beside the pool and struck her head, contradicting the original report that the child had fallen in the pool. The response teams provided immediate care, ensuring the child received treatment in time.

Scott Markel, Communications Chief of Santa Rosa County Emergency Management Communications Center, reflected on how this technology played a pivotal role in expediting the response to prevent a tragic outcome, and applauded his team’s efforts:

"I commend my team for the quick-thinking and use of the RapidDeploy platform, which allowed us to swiftly redirect the call to the appropriate agency and coordinate a multi-agency prompt response."

A Lesson in Interagency Collaboration
This precise location tracking enabled a well-coordinated response between the Santa Rosa and Bay County emergency teams, leading to the successful discovery and treatment of the child. This situation emphasizes the importance of NG911 technology and demonstrates how crucial information can cross county boundaries to facilitate an emergency response. RapidDeploy technology effectively serves as a bridge that allows different agencies to collaborate seamlessly.

2. Arizona's Quick Response to Offroad Accident

From the deserts of Arizona, another success story emerges involving two teenagers in a dirt bike accident. The call, initially received by the Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Department (CRIT PD), was transferred to the La Paz Sheriff’s Department. However, the caller provided inconsistent location information, making it challenging for the emergency responders to pinpoint the accident site.

Unreliable Caller Information in Remote Regions
In rural and remote regions, callers often struggle to describe their exact location due to the absence of clear landmarks. This poses a significant challenge for telecommunicators who must rely on technology to gather accurate location data.

Aurora Wilson, a telecommunicator at the La Paz Sheriff’s Department, quickly consulted the Radius Mapping platform. She identified two cell signals in the Parker area, one of which appeared in a desert near the Lazy D Mobile Home Park. She shared the GPS coordinates with the responding units and confirmed the location with the CRIT PD responders.

Seamless and Accurate Emergency Response
This accuracy expedited the arrival of emergency teams, and they were able to find the accident site quickly. One of the teenagers had suffered multiple injuries and was airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital for further treatment. The coordinated response across multiple agencies minimized delays, ensuring both teenagers received the necessary medical attention.

Wilson emphasized the importance of RapidDeploy’s platform:

“Had I not been able to utilize the RapidDeploy system, the response would/could have been further delayed. I use this system religiously when checking on my shift. It has multiple tools that make it almost effortless to locate a person in need of Law Enforcement, Medical, and Fire responders.”

Leveraging Technology to Save Lives
The seamless coordination between multiple agencies and the utilization of RapidDeploy ensured an effective rescue, showcasing the power of teamwork and technology in emergency management. This incident also highlights the importance of real-time data sharing between telecommunicators and field responders. With tools like RapidDeploy, telecommunicators can provide first responders with accurate GPS coordinates, increasing the chances of locating the injured quickly.

3. Desert Rescue Through Precision Mapping

The vast and treacherous terrains of Arizona’s deserts pose unique challenges, as illustrated by a distress call about a man suffering from heat-related issues. The Rural Metro telecommunicator, unfamiliar with the area and receiving inconsistent location details from the caller, provided different landmarks to responders heading to the scene.  

Challenges of Heat-Related Emergencies in Deserts
Desert rescues are particularly challenging due to the vast, featureless landscapes and extreme temperatures that can quickly become life-threatening. In this instance, the caller was disoriented due to the heat and provided the dispatcher with unclear information, making it difficult to identify the exact location.

To pinpoint the exact location, the telecommunicator at Phoenix Fire Department 911 used the RapidDeploy system to send a request link via text message to the caller. The caller accepted the link, which shared his exact GPS location. Using the map, the telecommunicator measured the distance from the main road to determine the best route for emergency responders.

Precision Mapping for Accurate Response
The team dispatched first responders to the coordinates and guided them directly to the caller, who was transported to the nearest hospital for treatment. The quick-thinking and rapid response facilitated by RapidDeploy’s Radius Mapping solution may have saved the man's life. This is a testament to the effectiveness of RapidDeploy’s NG911 solutions in delivering life-saving assistance where and when it's most needed.

Jim Frazier, Fire Communications Administrator, Phoenix Fire Department added:

"Using RapidDeploy's Radius Mapping in emergencies saves valuable time and lives."

Technology Transforming Desert Rescue Operations
In the absence of precise landmarks, RapidDeploy’s Radius Mapping solution allows telecommunicators to analyze the topography and features of the landscape accurately. This capability ensures emergency teams reach the exact location, even in the most challenging terrains. The incident showcases how RapidDeploy empowers telecommunicators with tools that make a significant difference in emergency outcomes.

4. Real-Time Rescue in the Arizona Wilderness

The Valley Emergency Communications Center (VECC) faced a challenging scenario on May 1, 2024. They received a call from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office regarding an injured 28-year-old hiker with a possible broken leg in the wilderness. The VECC team immediately opened a call in RapidDeploy's Radius Mapping and gathered vital information like medical details, name, and emergency contact information from the cell provider.

SMS Communication Reassures and Informs
The VECC telecommunicators initiated a conversation with the victim and her companion via SMS, using text-from-911. This allowed them to provide immediate reassurance that help was on the way while also collecting crucial information about the victim's condition and location. They were able to precisely identify the victim’s location and follow movements down the trail to find a shadier spot.

Establishing an Effective Rescue Plan
The VECC dispatchers relayed this live information to the responding crews. The incident commander used it to establish a detailed rescue plan, with rescue crews entering the trail and locating the calling party just over two miles up the trail. With a clear strategy and live data from RapidLocate, the teams efficiently transformed actionable information into a life-saving encounter.

Jason Moore, Deputy Chief - Director of the Valley Emergency Communications Center, emphasized the significance of RapidLocate in the rescue operation:

"RapidLocate proved extremely useful in obtaining actionable information very early on in the emergency, and aided in responders making critical decisions to support locating and rescuing the victim."

RapidDeploy’s technology played a crucial role in helping the teams make informed decisions early in the emergency, aiding in finding and rescuing the victim. This story is just one example of how teamwork and technology can come together to transform an urgent call for help into a successful rescue mission.

Join Us in Celebrating These Heroes

Every call that turns into a save story is a testament to the courage of telecommunicators and first responders alike, and the efficacy of RapidDeploy. We are committed to enhancing the capabilities of emergency services with our cutting-edge solutions, ensuring that when disaster strikes, help is just a call away.

These save stories are great examples of how RapidDeploy technology is helping emergency agencies across the country improve their response times and outcomes, ultimately saving more lives. We invite you to share your own experiences and how technology has aided you in critical moments. Visit us at RapidDeploy to learn more about our technology and share your story. Through these stories of resilience and innovation, RapidDeploy continues to be inspired in our commitment to public safety. Whether it's cross-county collaboration or navigating vast deserts, NG911 solutions prove to be the linchpin that connects telecommunicators and first responders in their life-saving mission. By leveraging advanced tools like Radius Mapping, emergency teams can collaborate seamlessly and provide accurate responses that reduce critical delays.

These stories reaffirm the transformative power of technology in emergency response. At RapidDeploy, we are dedicated to providing emergency agencies with the most advanced tools and technology so that every moment makes a difference.

04/16/2024
Save Stories
Mapping
Celebrating Our RapidDeploy Superstars During Telecommunicators Week

This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators week, and every year we look forward to this important week. It gives us a great reminder to celebrate telecommunicators nationwide and show how much we appreciate and honor their service.  

It's our privilege at RapidDeploy to shine a spotlight on these extraordinary individuals who are often behind the scenes and on the headsets. Over the past year, RapidDeploy has received hundreds of stories from PSAPs and emergency response professionals across the country detailing the heroic and life-saving impact of a telecommunicator. RapidDeploy selects one story every quarter of the year to recognize with our RapidDeploy Superstar Award. We are honored during this year’s National Telecommunicators Week to celebrate these heroes and their remarkable contributions.

Maui County 911 Communications Center, Hawaii

In recognition of their extraordinary performance during the catastrophic wildfires on August 8, 2023, RapidDeploy most recently awarded Maui County 911 the national Superstar Award. Handling nearly triple the average number of distress calls in a single day, the communication center's use of RapidDeploy was pivotal in facilitating life-saving emergency responses amid the chaos happening on the ground in Maui. This award ceremony made history as the first time the RapidDeploy Superstar award was presented to an entire team, and honors their collective commitment as the “first” first responders and their effective utilization of Next Gen 911 solutions during critical moments

We are so proud to present these individuals and teams with the Superstar Award. These stories exemplify the heroism, resilience, and technological adeptness that define our telecommunicators and the critical, lifesaving work they do.  

Derrik Gregg - Scottsdale Police Department, Arizona

Derrik Gregg, Communications Supervisor at the Scottsdale Police Department, was awarded RapidDeploy's Superstar Award in March 2024 for his bravery and life-saving actions that took place on September 1, 2023. After receiving a disconnected 911 call, Derrik utilized RapidDeploy's Radius Mapping platform and used the breadcrumbs feature to locate a victim of domestic violence, who was in transport moving away from the location of the incident. His collaboration with law enforcement ensured the victim's safety, highlighting the indispensable role of NG911 technology in public safety and the exceptional dedication of first responders like Derrik.

Meghan Gonzalez - Riverside County Sheriff's Office, California

Meghan Gonzalez of the Riverside County Sheriff's Office received the RapidDeploy Superstar award for her innovative handling of a kidnapping incident in October 2023. By initiating a real-time 911 text conversation with a caller unable to speak, Meghan utilized Radius Mapping to track the victim's real-time location and movements. Her quick thinking and gut intuition not only facilitated the victim's safe recovery but also led to the kidnapper's apprehension.

Heather Mayo - Walton County Sheriff's Office, Florida

In April 2023, Walton County Sheriff’s Office Dispatcher, Heather Mayo, displayed exceptional use of RapidDeploy's technology during a critical emergency, earning her the Superstar Award. Responding to a 911 call from a woman whose husband had fallen overboard into rough water, Heather leveraged live video, real-time location tracking and mobile signals to coordinate a successful rescue. Utilizing RapidDeploy’s RapidVideo, she guided the caller, through live video sharing, to restart the boat’s engine and navigate the bay to find her husband, showcasing the profound impact of NG911 technology in life-saving efforts.

These professionals, our RapidDeploy Superstars, have gone above and beyond in leveraging technology to save lives and enhance the safety of our communities. Their stories of courage, innovation, and commitment serve as a beacon of inspiration, demonstrating the critical role of telecommunicators in emergency response.  

We are honored during this year’s National Telecommunicators Week to celebrate these heroes and their remarkable contributions. We extend our deepest gratitude and admiration to all telecommunicators who remind us of the powerful difference one call can make.

03/26/2024
Save Stories
Mapping
Celebrating Heroic Actions: RapidDeploy Honors Derrik Gregg with Superstar Award

Last year, RapidDeploy was thrilled to introduce the RapidDeploy Superstar Award, a national award recognizing extraordinary individuals who have significantly impacted lives by leveraging Next Generation 911 technology.

This award specifically honors heroes from ECCs and PSAPs nationwide that have effectively utilized RapidDeploy’s technology in a life-saving emergency incident.

Communications Supervisor Derrik Gregg from Scottsdale Police Department Receives the Superstar Award for His Life-Saving Efforts  

On Friday, September 1, 2023, at approximately 0238 hours, Communications Supervisor Derrik Gregg received a 911 call that disconnected shortly after he answered. Derrik was able to see on RapidDeploy’s Radius Map that the caller was on Hayden near McCormick Parkway, and he was also able to see subsequent location changes. Derrik initiated a Call For Service for a 911 welfare check. At the same time, Derrik selected “request additional information,” a feature request on RapidDeploy that signifies that the 911 center feels there is a potential emergency, and will send the requestor any emergency information previously entered into a smartphone by the caller (name, emergency contact, and home address).

On Derrik’s second call to the phone, a female answered and quickly stated that she would call him back. Derrik asked her if she had an emergency, to which she replied,“Yes” and then hung up the phone. Using the information on the supplemental information from the caller’s phone, Derrik ran a query through ACJIS to find vehicles registered to a person with the caller’s name. At this time, Officer A and Trainee Officer B made a stop on a vehicle traveling northbound on Hayden by matching the license plate that Derrik had relayed.

Officers A and B, with other officers and the sergeant backing them up, approached the vehicle and determined that the female passenger of the vehicle needed medical attention. Investigation revealed that the male driver had run over the female passenger prior to leaving with her in the vehicle from a bar in Scottsdale. The female had been unable to speak freely because she was afraid of the driver.

This call came to a successful ending due to the quick actions by Communications Supervisor Derrik Gregg.

It is likely that the actions taken by Scottsdale Communications and Patrol saved this young woman’s life that night.

The Power of RapidDeploy Technology Plays a Pivotal Role in Life-Saving Response

Derrik's actions epitomize the dedication and resilience of our first responders. He exemplified extraordinary life-saving impact with his quick thinking and decisive actions, and his heroic efforts not only saved a life but also showcased the power of innovative technology in emergency situations. His mastery of our technology played a pivotal role in this life-saving operation. We commend Derrik Gregg for his unwavering commitment to public safety and his extraordinary contribution to his community, and we proudly announce Derrik Gregg as the recipient of RapidDeploy's quarterly Superstar Award.

RapidDeploy National Superstar Award

The RapidDeploy Superstar Award recognizes exceptional bravery and outstanding contributions to emergency response. Through real-life examples like Derrik Gregg's, we highlight the impact of innovative technology in saving lives. We encourage nominations and submissions of heroic stories from first responders across the nation, showcasing the remarkable efforts of those on the front lines.

As we celebrate Derrik Gregg's achievements, we also reflect on the broader mission of RapidDeploy. Founded in 2016, we are dedicated to revolutionizing the public safety sector. Our cloud-native platform delivers intelligent information throughout the emergency response journey, empowering agencies and first responders to drive better outcomes in mission-critical situations.

The recognition of RapidDeploy as a Most Innovative Company in 2024 by Fast Company further validates our commitment to excellence. We are proud to lead the charge in reshaping emergency response, reducing response times, and ultimately saving lives. With a curated partner network and a relentless focus on innovation, we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in public safety.

Innovative Technology Is Changing 911

At RapidDeploy, we believe in the power of technology to make a difference. Derrik Gregg's story is a testament to that belief. His swift action, supported by our innovative solutions, demonstrates the impact of collaboration between technology and human ingenuity. As we celebrate Derrik's heroism, we renew our dedication to advancing public safety and driving positive change in communities worldwide.

Together, we will continue to innovate, inspire, and save lives.

03/19/2024
Trends
RapidDeploy Recognized as a 2024 Most Innovative Company by Fast Company!

We’re thrilled to announce that RapidDeploy has been named as a Most Innovative Company on Fast Company's 2024 list, winning in the “rapid response” category for 2024! This recognition celebrates our commitment to revolutionizing the public safety sector with innovative solutions that are reshaping emergency response, reducing response times and honoring our mission of saving lives by reducing response times.

Shining a Spotlight on Innovative Technology in Public Safety

Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies list is a significant honor that recognizes companies that are setting new standards with an innovation-driven focus. This recognition highlights our dedication to pushing boundaries, driving better outcomes in mission-critical situations,  reshaping the public safety landscape and improving the safety of communities worldwide.

RapidDeploy achieved significant milestones in the past year by delivering on the promise of Next Generation 911 (NG911). In 2023 we launched Lightning, the groundbreaking mobile app designed to deliver critical 911 data directly to field responders' smartphones and tablets.  

RapidDeploy's collaboration with the Kansas 911 Coordinating Council to roll out the Lightning mobile app to 25,000 first responders marked a milestone in advancing NG911 solutions statewide. By leveraging cloud-native mapping, analytics and mobile technology, RapidDeploy is leading the public safety industry by providing enhanced situational awareness data to first responders in the field.  

Our Mission and Celebrating Our Team and Partners’ Commitment to Innovation

At RapidDeploy, we recognize that our team is the cornerstone of innovation and our mission to save lives, and our achievements wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of our entire team. We continue to challenge the status quo by advancing public safety technology that provides the promise of NG911 data, workflows and ongoing collaboration advancements that save lives.  

RapidDeploy is on a journey to provide NG911 solutions that support the unified emergency response workflow. By doing so, NG911 will further extend into the field and the overall benefits of enhanced situational awareness will be realized by all first responders in the field.  

This achievement wouldn't have been possible without the dedication and creativity of our incredible team and the unwavering support of our clients and partners. We're immensely proud of the collaborative efforts that have led us to this momentous recognition.

Meet the Most Interesting Man in the World Saving Lives

At the heart of our innovation and mission-driven focus is our CEO & co-founder, Steve Raucher, who was recently featured on the Electrifying Growth podcast hosted by Edison Partners. Here he shared insights into RapidDeploy's journey, leadership ethos and core principles driving our ascent in the govtech space. Listen to the episode, "One of the Most Interesting Men in the World: Saving Lives and Making Money with Steve Raucher of RapidDeploy," to learn more about our mission-driven approach to innovation, and why this led to our recognition by Fast Company as a Most Innovative Company in 2024.

At RapidDeploy, we're not just reimagining emergency response—we're defining the future of public safety. Thank you to Fast Company for this incredible honor, and here's to continued innovation and impact in the years to come! To learn more about our recognition and the innovative solutions driving our mission, check out our press release here.

03/07/2024
Mapping
Trends
Introducing the Future of Emergency Response: RapidDeploy's Critical Incident Board

In the realm of emergency response, every second counts. That's why at RapidDeploy, we're constantly innovating to provide cutting-edge solutions that empower Emergency Communication Centers (ECCs) and responders to act swiftly and decisively in critical situations. Our latest innovation, the Critical Incident Board (CIB), represents a leap forward in situational awareness and response coordination for call takers and field responders. The Critical Incident Board is a valuable tool that empowers telecommunicators and ECC Supervisors using Radius Mapping, as well as field responders with visibility through our Lightning mobile app, with a visual representation of incidents, facilitating quicker responses, efficient resource allocation, and improved coordination among response teams during critical situations.  

What is the Critical Incident Board?

The Critical Incident Board (CIB) is a revolutionary feature built within the Radius platform (coming soon to Lightning in 2024), designed to offer ECCs unparalleled visibility and control during emergencies. With the CIB, authorized users can create, manage and view digital dashboards that aggregate and present live feeds from CCTV cameras and RapidVideo sessions based on defined locations or incident areas. Essentially, the CIB acts as a centralized hub for visualizing multiple media sources in real-time, providing a comprehensive overview of ongoing incidents, emergencies, or planned events.

Prior to developing our Critical Incident Board, we saw a few areas in the market that needed a better solution. Critical Incident Board is a powerful tool in responsive emergency situations, such as a high-stress robbery, where ECCs need the ability to quickly see live camera feeds all in one place to track a suspect’s location in proximity to the crime. Or in a school safety situation where a panic signal is triggered at a school and the ECC needs to monitor the surrounding area. With CIB, ECC supervisors can quickly create a CIB to monitor CCTV camera feeds and RapidVideo sessions, enabling swift response.

Another scenario where a CIB is useful is during a planned response situation, like a large event at a stadium. In this situation we foresee the need for ECCs to proactively monitor activity in and around the venue, ensuring preparedness and rapid response to potential incidents.      

Key Features of the Critical Incident Board:

  • Creation and Management: Users with specific permissions can easily create, edit and close CIBs. Essential details such as name, location, and geofence distance are required for setup.
  • Visual Representation: CIBs are displayed on the Radius map as target icons in distinct colors, allowing for easy identification and access.
  • Real-time Media Streaming: The CIB automatically pulls CCTV camera feeds and RapidVideo sessions within the configured geofence area, offering immediate visual insights.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Users can conveniently view, edit and copy relevant location information directly from the CIB interface, facilitating seamless dispatching and external communication.
  • Flexible Configuration: Integration with Skyline CCTV camera layers enables hassle-free setup for CIB functionality.

 

How Does It Work?

The Critical Incident Board revolutionizes emergency response in several ways:

  • Centralized Visual Information: By condensing various media streams into a unified display, the CIB provides ECCs with a comprehensive view of ongoing incidents, aiding in response planning and decision-making.
  • Real-time Insights: With live media streams automatically aggregated and displayed, the CIB offers immediate insights into unfolding situations, enabling rapid responses.
  • Efficient Coordination: Organizing media streams based on proximity to the central incident allows responders to prioritize actions effectively, enhancing coordination efforts.
  • Enhanced Monitoring Capabilities: ECC staff can continuously monitor incidents through the visual representation provided by the CIB, ensuring targeted response efforts.
  • Ease of Access and Information Sharing: Relevant location information can be easily accessed and shared directly from the CIB interface, streamlining communication and navigation.

 

Critical Incident Boards Empowers Unprecedented Situational Awareness

RapidDeploy’s CIB offering is the latest innovation enabling unprecedented situational awareness and response capabilities. At RapidDeploy, our mission is to revolutionize emergency response through innovation and technology, which is why we're committed to empowering ECCs with the tools they need to do their job more efficiently. With the Critical Incident Board, we're one step closer to realizing that vision, empowering ECCs and responders to save lives and protect communities more effectively than ever before.

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