New 9-1-1 software emerging from academia uses special smartphone technology to virtually place emergency operators at the scene of an incident.
Among the features the University of North Texas software will offer is remote control of smartphone cameras so 9-1-1 operators can view an emergency scene while controlling the zoom of the calling camera.
The system is also capable of monitoring a victim’s breathing and vital signs so operators can triage victim status. Callers would place the smartphone on a victim’s torso so the emergency operator could assess respiration. This will help emergency operators decide whether CPR is needed. A CPR monitor displaying compression depth and rate would allow operators to accurately coach a caller giving CPR.
“The 9-1-1 technology will enable the emergency dispatcher to obtain more information about a medical emergency using various sensors on a caller’s smartphone,” said North Texas computer science and engineering professor Ram Dantu. Dantu said once the application is released, dispatchers would be better able to assess emergency situations and direct callers in what to do. Callers might not be able to describe key facts about an emergency situation clearly and quickly, such as the appearance of a shooter, or if a victim is alert or breathing.
Dantu told Homeland1 that instead of having the caller describe the state and appearance of a person or object, the dispatcher could tell the caller to point the smartphone at the person or object and remotely take control of the smartphone’s camera.
“If a victim might not be alert, the dispatcher could start a breathing monitor application,” Dantu said. “Likewise, if the victim is not breathing, the dispatcher could start an application that guides the caller on how to perform CPR and assess the quality of the CPR compressions.”
In addition, the technology provides the dispatcher with a Text-To-Speech (TTS) keyboard. This way, the phone can speak and display everything the dispatcher types on the keyboard.
Dantu said the system will be piloted first in cooperation with local governments and the National Emergency Number Association.
“The CPR portion is mostly complete,” he said. “It mainly needs artwork for certain instructions, such as how to perform CPR on children and infants.”
The breathing monitor is also nearing completion, although currently it has trouble identifying shallow breathing.
Dantu said they are also researching how to translate the text the operator types on the TTS keyboard into other languages to help the dispatcher communicate with callers in languages other than English.
Down the line, Dantu said they expect to add oxygen saturation and other vital sign monitors to the list of applications.