911: Amazed by the Past, Excited for the Future

By Jeff Robertson

Innovation is happening at warp speed; none so much as how technology is driving innovation in public safety. The 911 system in the United States is no stranger to innovation. Across the country, consumer expectations assume that 911 will always be available and that there will always be a professional telecommunicator (call taker) under the headset, and that a first responder will always be dispatched. The assumption is there because the proof is there. Years upon years of dedicated service and continuous improvements help meet the mission critical goal of 911 – to help save lives and protect property.

Before 911, it was typical for families to post a sticker on their wired home telephone with a list of numbers to call in case of an emergency. Otherwise, without known numbers, callers simply dialed “0” for the operator. At that time, emergency calls were not prioritized over other calls, nor were operators trained to handle emergency situations as are the professional telecommunicators at today’s public safety answering points (PSAP). In turn, errors occurred and delays in handling dangerous situations often resulted in needless loss of life and property.

All of this changed in 1967 when the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice recommended that a universal number be established nationwide for reporting emergency situations. Collaboration between government agencies, public officials, and telecommunications carriers led to legislation being passed to establish 911 as the standard emergency number for nationwide use. Just a few months later, on February 16, 1968, the first 911 call in the U.S. was placed in Haleyville, Alabama. In Canada, 911 service was adopted in 1972.

What amazes me is the realization that that the same 911 system used in Haleyville over five decades ago still provides the foundation we use today. What excites me is that public safety continues to innovate and develop tools and resources that keep pace with the complex, ever changing telecommunications landscape

PSAPs now or will soon be able to receive relevant information from expansive data resources arriving in various forms- voice calls, text, pictures, and video. Secure, cloud-based technologies such as speech recognition with recording and keyword identification, network traffic monitoring, social media analytics, IoT sensors and smart devices gather massive amounts of data that may be quickly gleaned for actionable intelligence from the large data sets without overwhelming call takers and dispatchers. All of these supplemental data types may be combined to give first responders a more complete picture of the incident which creates a much greater situational awareness.

Additional data elevates the urgency of a situation and helps ensure that the right resources are deployed. For example, if a crash occurs, onboard telematics can place a call to the local PSAP. The request is automatically combined with medical profile data relayed by the mobile phone in the driver’s pocket. First responders arrive informed and well-prepared to treat the injured driver. In an active shooter situation while at work or school, a panic button can contact 911 and initiate a lockdown. Floor plans, access codes, and in-building video are immediately on screen, giving first responders unprecedented situational awareness and an ability to respond in the safest, most-informed way possible.

Technology is transforming innovation at its core and is the lifeline to public safety. Innovation allows first responders to make more informed decisions, respond quickly and safely, serve our communities better and save lives- when every second matters.

There are a lot of folks who deserve credit for creating and promoting the 911 system. I am proud to have witnessed many of these advances in public safety over the course of my career and am inspired to work for a company that has been at the forefront of driving innovation in public safety. That is transforming the entire Life & Safety Continuum. That is the future of public safety.