FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office introduced new technology used by 911 dispatchers to help deputies see suspected crimes being committed in real-time.
The app is called “Prepared Live.” It uses software that allows dispatchers to see what is going on when a caller reports a crime happening.
Here’s how it works:
A caller calls 911 about an emergency. In this case, a woman is reporting a suspicious person in the parking lot of her apartment complex when the 911 operators tell her that they will send a link to her phone.
“It will let me view your camera live on your phone,” the operator said.
Now, the 911 operator will receive GPS coordinates for the woman’s location and can use the woman’s cell phone camera to see what is going on.
“We have a live video feed of a subject. The male is wearing a red shirt and he’s in between what looks like a Kia Sol and a silver sedan,” the operator said. “Looks like he just ducked down.”
Next, the dispatcher relays real-time information to the responding deputy who is walking up on the suspect.
“Sheriff’s Office. Stop. Hey. Stop. Don’t run,” the deputy can be heard saying.
The suspect, who turned out to be a 12-year-old boy, runs into the stairway of a building and is later caught by deputies. He was charged with criminal mischief, possession of burglary tools, and trespassing after he had previously trespassed from the complex.
Christina Mortimer is the director of the Flagler County Emergency Communications Unit. She said the Prepared Live app is a game changer when it comes to gathering real-time information before and during the time a deputy is responding to a dangerous call.
“When we send the caller the link, everybody in dispatch can see it. So now, you may have three or four people watching it and somebody may see something that someone else didn’t. So, the more eyes on the situation, the better,” Mortimer said.
Flagler County 911 dispatchers are also using the live video feeds for medical calls.
“We can tell the caller what to do now that we understand what is actually occurring,” she said.
Prepared Live is also being used to aid firefighters. 911 dispatchers can see live video feeds of fires before firefighters arrive and warn them if a fire appears to be threatening other buildings.
This app has many functions. Dispatchers said the GPS function recently helped them locate a woman who veered off a bike trail and became lost in a wooded area.