New Technology Aims to Virtually Put 9-1-1 Dispatcher On-Scene

There’s a lot of information 9-1-1 dispatchers could benefit from having, if they could only be at the scene of an emergency prior to sending EMS providers. New software based on existing smartphone technology is seeking to do the next best thing.

Ram Dantu, a professor at the University of North Texas College of Engineering, has developed a new 9-1-1 software system that virtually places 9-1-1 operators at an emergency scene, helping operators to gather the most accurate information possible to better prepare first responders.

The system was developed with the support of a National Science Foundation grant, and Dantu worked with UNT Professor Krishna Kavi, UNT Associate Professor Parthasarathy Guturu and researchers from Texas A&M University and Columbia University on the project.

“First responders need as much accurate information as quickly as possible during an emergency, and we are using technology already available in smartphones to bring 9-1-1 operators closer to emergency scenes than ever before,” Dantu says.

The software system offers text-to-speech technology for clear communication; remote control of smartphone cameras, so an operator can view an emergency scene while controlling the lighting and zoom of a caller’s camera; breathing and vital sign monitors, so an operator can accurately gauge a patient’s status; and a CPR monitor displaying compression depth and rate, which will allow an operator to accurately coach a caller on performing CPR.

Callers can also place smartphones on a patient’s torso and the emergency operator will be able to view the patient’s breaths per minute.

“If the caller does need to perform CPR on the patient, they can place their smartphone on top of their hands and begin,” Dantu says. “The system will tell the operator how effectively they’re performing CPR and give the operator a chance to tell the caller to change the speed or depth of their compressions.”

In the event the call is dropped, the phone is even equipped to continue generating CPR feedback using alerts built into the application.

“Some smartphone users may have concerns about privacy and security with the use of this program,” Dantu notes. “When a person downloads the application and launches it for the first time, the application is designed to disclose all of its capabilities and ask the user to opt-in to allowing emergency operators access to their phone’s sensory hardware. In a sense, this is the same as granting tech support remote access to a computer for a short period of time.”

Dantu will present the software at the 2013 National Emergency Number Association Conference June 15–20 in Charlotte, N.C., where emergency operators will have a chance to use the software and provide feedback.