INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Why data is driving the future of 911

By Steve RaucherMar 31, 2021

In a previous era, reaching 911 required a phone call into the public safety answering point (PSAP) and a radio call to dispatch emergency services.

Developments in 911 technology over the past 25 years brought Enhanced 911 and Wireless 911 to more than 90% of American PSAPs, but the voice-centric 911 call remained the backbone of emergency service. Now, however, with local governments taking advantage of innovative, cloud-based public-safety software, dispatchers — today better described as telecommunicators — and first responders can access critical situational details in the moments that matter most.

These new technology-driven 911 centers use location data from cellphones, videos, text and software integrations with vehicles to create a quicker, more efficient way to respond to emergencies. In addition, advanced analytics platforms can be integrated within cloud-based systems.

Replacing legacy systems and adopting a data-driven approach to emergency response with modern technology opens new possibilities for the next age of 911 — improvements that can shorten response times, pinpoint trouble spots in real-time, simplify critical assessments and save lives.

Integrated data improves emergency response

Relying on location and phone number identification tied to the physical address of a landline is not sufficient to map increasingly mobile 911 callers and dispatch emergency services. Even standard-issue cellphone mapping using cell towers to estimate location is inexact. By leveraging real-time location data from Apple, Google and other providers, an integrated mapping solution can pinpoint a 911 caller before the call even connects to the PSAP. More advanced solutions with the right industry partners may even tap into a vehicle or home security system to ensure the most accurate location.

With diverse sources of data input, telecommunicators and first responders are better equipped with information about a car crash, home invasion or other emergency. An integrated platform also opens the possibility of different outputs from the 911 center. This includes two-way SMS, which allows telecommunicators to exchange texts directly with the caller, an especially useful tool in domestic violence cases and in other situations where the caller may be unable to speak.

Cloud-based 9-1-1 platforms provide valuable data analysis

As local agencies make the move to Next Generation 911, many realize they can harness more value from the data their system produces. But they also know this data is only valuable if it’s actionable.

Cloud-based analytics solutions are purpose-built for specific industries, a critical factor in the case of emergency services. Modern 911 platforms remove the need for a server closet that could break down, fail to store valuable data or delay delivering valuable insights. Additionally, cloud-based analytics solutions update in real-time. PSAP call and performance data is automatically uploaded and stored in the cloud, creating efficient, on-demand access.

A common scenario is when an agency manager must share a biweekly call log with a government public safety official. With legacy systems, this requires a manual data pull that can sometimes take a couple of days to complete. Before it even hits the desk, the information is outdated and essentially useless.

With a cloud-based system that updates in real-time, however, this report pull can be automated. Biweekly, the report will pull from the system automatically and send it to the public official. Not only is the data in real-time and much more valuable, but it also keeps agency managers from spending time on a tedious, manual task. Instead, these individuals can now spend more time evaluating the data and making informed decisions.

The data collected must foster informed decisions that improve emergency response services. Unfortunately, standard 911 management information systems today fall short. MIS reports provide a limited, one-dimensional view of data and only deliver surface-level information about past events.

Imagine a PSAP sets a monthly goal to answer calls within 10 seconds or less, 90% of the time. A 911 administrator could pull a basic report on this activity through the MIS, but that only tells what happened rather than why it happened. What if the system could report that on Tuesdays between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., the goal was missed substantially, only checking the box 60% of the time? A cloud-based analytics system that automatically logs and analyzes all call data can point to specific issues around staffing using any number of guidelines.

Modern, cloud-based analytics solutions provide a multidimensional snapshot of a system and the data it produces, giving public safety organizations the ability to point out a problem, understand what is contributing and develop a solution.

Every local government official knows that the goal of effective emergency response is to quickly and accurately respond to 911 calls and dispatch the correct services. Rather than making it harder on first responders by equipping them with a legacy, outdated system, public safety agencies should consider embracing digital transformation and adopting innovative cloud-based systems designed with real-time data at the core. Accessing data in real-time can improve situational awareness, response times and overall operational performance. It helps 911 administrators, supervisors, telecommunicators and first responders and provides a crucial benefit for the caller on the other end of the phone.

About a year into my first term as Pennsylvania governor, our state was slammed by the Blizzard of ‘96. I recall declaring a state of emergency and ordering my fellow Pennsylvanians to stay off the roads. Of course, our first responders were still out in the storm protecting the public.Isn’t that always the case? We stay safe inside while police, firefighters and paramedics risk their lives to protect ours.  Twenty-five years later, the emergency isn’t a blinding snowstorm, but a devastating pandemic. And again, it’s our first responders who put themselves in harm’s way.In police stations, fire houses, ambulances and 911 dispatch centers across the nation, our first responders are working to respond to the needs of their communities and to keep themselves and their families safe from a deadly disease.At a time when state, local, tribal and territorial governments are having to make difficult spending decisions with budgets that have been battered by COVID-19, first responders need additional resources, coordination and guidance from the federal government.  That was a message we heard clearly when the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, which I co-chair with former Sen. Joe Lieberman, met recently with leaders from the first responder community.As the first Secretary of Homeland Security, I can confirm that a lack of cohesion and communication, in the field and higher up the chain, magnified the damage of the terrorist attacks in 2001, along with Hurricane Katrina and other national tragedies.It is outrageous that 20 years after September 11 and the anthrax attacks of 2001, we continue to hobble our ability to respond swiftly and effectively because we still deprive first responders of the tools and information they need.  Our commission recognized these challenges facing the emergency responders in 2015, when we released our seminal “National Blueprint for Biodefense” and again in 2018, when we described the need for state, local, tribal and territorial reinforcements in our report “Holding the Line on Biodefense.”Yet the federal government has taken little action, leaving our first responders ill-equipped and underinformed when addressing events like the ongoing pandemic.   Important information is lackingTake, for example, Cherie Bartram, executive director of the South East Regional Emergency Services Authority. She told the commission their network of 911 dispatchers could not find consistent materials from the federal government early on — or even well into — the pandemic when responding to COVID-19 calls. There was no federal coordination to assist them. None.  Dia Gainor, executive director of the National Association of State EMS Officials, told us that EMTs and paramedics uploaded 44 million patient care records from 911 calls in 2020, but she wonders if anyone at the federal level other than the Department of Transportation is accessing, analyzing and using that valuable data to help inform COVID-19 response and treatment. She also said the issue of federal support continues to be volatile for her members. Shumeane Benford is Boston’s chief of Emergency Management. He told us endless red tape continues to impede his city’s ability to work in partnership with the federal government, making it difficult to collaborate with other essential workers in public health.  Philip Francisco, chief of the Navajo Police Department, spoke to us about the lack of specific federal guidance and training for keeping first responders safe in the early days of the pandemic. His officers, one of whom died from COVID-19, ultimately had to find creative solutions to protect themselves and their communities, including cordoning off the back seats of police vehicles using plastic wrap and tape.   First responders require resources and information so that they can effectively manage the biological threat, keep the public informed and make decisions about using medical countermeasures themselves. The pandemic reminds us these aren’t some fictional scenarios we must plan for, but real-time crises that require strong support — and more than just lip service — from Congress and the administration.  First responders are overlookedMuch of the public discussion over the past year has focused on health care providers working in overcrowded hospitals. Doctors and nurses nationwide deserve our respect, support and prayers as they strive to save lives during the current crisis.Too often, however, our first responders get lost in the conversation, which is disappointing because they are equally vital in responding to the pandemic — and we will call upon them again and again during future biological events.  These courageous men and women kept me alive several years ago when a sudden heart attack struck. I would not be here today if not for their training and quick actions. Countless other Americans also owe a debt of gratitude to our first responders.Our federal government owes them better coordination and the tools needed to do their jobs. Tom Ridge, former governor of Pennsylvania and the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, is co-chair of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense.

The call comes into the police department for a missing person. Sometimes it’s regarding an adult who didn’t show up for work. It might be a teenager who has run away from home. It might be a child who got separated from their parents while on an outing. Police train for these kinds of missing person cases. But what happens when the missing person has special needs and may be unable to communicate with authorities? That’s exactly what happened when Kenneth Parks, of New Bedford, wandered away from his group during a visit to Cushman Park in Fairhaven on March 17. Parks, 73, diagnosed with autism, is non-verbal and only speaks in grunts especially when he gets anxious, according to his caregivers.  After missing for nearly 22 hours, Parks was found sitting in someone’s car. He was unharmed, but was taken to the hospital by ambulance for an assessment. Found Safe:73-year-old New Bedford man with autism was missing from FairhavenSkills needed when police face this kind of response “All officers have received classroom training regarding dealing with persons with special needs,” said Fairhaven Sgt. Timothy F. Souza. He said the training happens at the department’s annual in-service academies or for the newer officers in their initial full time police academy. “Aside from the police academy trainings we have a few officers in our department who are assigned to the SEMLEC Search and Rescue and Mobile Command Units. These officers are specifically trained for these types of responses.” SEMLEC (Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council) is a mutual aid consortium comprised of resources from the police departments of 30 cities and towns. It responds when requested by a chief of police to assist with search and rescue, special events, or major crimes. SEMLEC was activated in the search for Parks along with Fairhaven, Acushnet, and Mattapoisett Police Departments, Fairhaven Fire Department, Fairhaven Harbormaster, New Bedford Police Department Marine Unit, Bristol County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, SEMLEC Search & Rescue, SEMLEC Mobile Command Center, SEMLEC Dive Team, SEMLEC Bicycle Unit, Mass State Police Special Emergency Response Team, Mass State Police Air Wing, Mass Environmental Police and the Department of Conservation & Recreation. Searching for Kenneth Parks  Parks, who lives in a residential group home, was on an outing in Cushman Park in Fairhaven when he wandered away from the group. At around 2 p.m. he was reported missing to police. “An initial call was made to dispatch and officers responded,” Souza said. “The shift supervisor and his team immediately flooded the area.”  He said officers talked to the last known person who saw Parks and then branched out into the general area stopping people and asking if they had seen Parks.  Other police and fire assets were then brought to the scene to expand the search perimeter, he said.  “In this case initially SEMLEC Search and Rescue was called as well as Fairhaven Fire and Bristol County Sheriff’s K-9 Units,” Souza noted. “Within a short period of time we had other assets such as the Mass State Police Air Wing division assisting us as well. During the two-day search we had approximately 12 to 15 different agencies involved.” “SEMLEC became part of the search for Mr. Parks once the unit was called by the Fairhaven police department,” said Somerset Police Chief George McNeil, control chief for SEMLEC Search and Rescue. “The callout for search and rescue is requested by the participating municipality usually when they’ve exhausted their resources but this can change, particularly if weather conditions are poor or cold. Callout times can also vary depending on the missing person’s age, medical condition, or other factors which may require a sooner response.” McNeil said a command post was set up inside a command vehicle similar to a large mobile home that has the ability to communicate with all agencies, including the State Police and its Air Wing.  A large flat screen TV is used to map grids of areas to be searched, starting with the location where the person was last seen. The grids get expanded as the search widens, he said.   Sheriff Thomas Hodgson rolled out his department’s K9 unit almost right away in the search. K9 Capt. Paul Douglas received the initial call for assistance from Fairhaven police and was told there was a missing senior citizen with autism and K9 support from the BCSO was being requested, wrote BCSO information officer Jonathan Darling, on the department’s social media page. The entire K9 unit responded. When the search involves someone with special needs “If we can, we get information from a family member or caretaker on exactly how that person should be approached,” Souza said. “Every person is different. Autistic individuals are not in general volatile, but we need to take a careful approach toward them so as to not frighten them, and doing our best to put them at ease with us.” “In Mr. Parks’ case we had conversations with his caretaker and the people at the place he resided,” McNeil said. “Search and rescue always make sure that the home residence is checked thoroughly, because many times we find the missing person hiding or sleeping. This happens a lot with children.”  “We asked his personal physician to come to our command post so we could get specifics on his behavior,” McNeil said. “When his doctor arrived, we asked her what she thought he may do if he was lost. It was thought that he may look for a place to sit down at some point and we thought that place would be an open car, which is where he was ultimately found.” Letter: There are resources to help protect those with dementia“[BCSO] Officer Chris Vaz was a huge help in the search and rescue effort,” Darling wrote. “As the program manager of the BCSO’s Project Lifesaver program, he has extensive knowledge of the challenges and behaviors demonstrated by people with autism. He was able to share those with rescue teams.” Project Lifesaver is a program through the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office that offers a GPS tracking bracelet to be placed on individuals with special needs, to help locate them if wander. Project Lifesaver reports a recovery time average of less than 30 minutes.Finding Kenneth ‘Kenny’ Parks  Upon resuming the search early the next morning a woman alerted search teams that she might have found Parks. She said she found a man sitting in the back seat of her car in the driveway.  It was Parks. At first officers got no response from Parks when they addressed him as Mr. Parks and then as Kenneth. However, as Darling recounted, K9 Capt. Paul Douglas address him as Kenny. “When he heard ‘Kenny’ he turned and looked me right in the eye. I knew he was OK and it was the best feeling in the world,” Douglas said. “It was a huge relief for all of us involved when he was located,” McNeil said. “You simply can’t service your community unless you can serve its most vulnerable members,” Hodgson said. “The first lesson for each and every K9 team at the BCSO is tracking and locating missing persons, and they stand by ready to assist in any public safety situation that may arise.” “It seemed like everyone in Fairhaven was out with flashlights, coffee, snacks, anything to help out,” Darling wrote. He quotes Lt. Kenny Almeida who searched with his K9, Will, “It’s hard to put into words just how great the neighbors and the community were. They were flooding us with tips and offers to help. They were donating coffee and food and water. It was truly amazing, and it was non-stop. It felt like all the reasons why I chose a career in law enforcement, that feeling of being a part of a community and keeping it safe.” “There was an overwhelming feeling of relief,” Souza said. “In our profession we have to unfortunately prepare mentally for the worst, but hope for the best. At the command post when the announcement was made that he was found, searchers were high-fiving and thanking each other for their assistance. This situation ended as we wish all did, a happy ending.” April is Autism Acceptance MonthApril has widely been known as “Autism Awareness Month” however, the autism community is calling on all media outlets to shift their language to match the growing need for acceptance within the community in preparation for any news coverage in the weeks ahead, according to the Autism Society of America. The shift in the use of terminology aims to foster acceptance to ignite change through improved support and opportunities in education, employment, accessible housing, affordable health care and comprehensive long-term services, the organization states on its website. “While we will always work to spread awareness, words matter as we strive for autistic individuals to live fully in all areas of life,” writes Christopher Banks, President and CEO of the Autism Society of America. “As many individuals and families affected by autism know, acceptance is often one of the biggest barriers to finding and developing a strong support system.”