NEW YORK, July 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- RapidSOS, the intelligent safety company, today announced Alarm Call Automation, a new solution to address the growing volume of sensor-initiated alarm calls into 911.
Alarm Call Automation plugs into an agency's existing protocols and 10-digit non-emergency line to assist 911 with sensor-initiated alarm calls. Powered by RapidSOS HARMONY AI, Alarm Call Automation gathers key response information, helps verify the alarm, and automatically populates the incident into CAD or RapidSOS UNITE in real-time.
Frost & Sullivan predicts that by 2027, more than half of all 911 calls will be triggered by a connected device, sensor, or app. Many of these are personal safety products in people's homes or businesses. The growing number of devices will impact the number of calls coming into 911, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, noted that more than 98 percent of alarm calls in the United States are false. RapidSOS' Alarm Call Automation supports the processing of alarm calls so telecommunicators can focus on other emergencies and quickly address alarms as required.
"We hear from our public safety partners that the proliferation of smart devices and sensors is leading to a growing number of alarms coming into the system, compounding staffing shortages in 911 centers," said Karin Marquez, Chief Public Safety Brand Officer at RapidSOS. "In partnership with public safety, we created Alarm Call Automation to help 911 focus their incredible skill and professionalism on the real emergencies impacting their communities."
Alarm Call Automation joins the company's suite of AI solutions powered by RapidSOS HARMONY, the first AI copilot built with public safety to support the incredible work of 911 in rapidly assessing and responding to hundreds of millions of emergencies annually.
Supporting the Incredible Work of 911 to Reduce Response Times
Today there are several emergency communication centers (ECCs) throughout the country that are actively using the Alarm Call Automation Module as part of RapidSOS' Safety Pioneer Program.
"Alarm Call Automation has been a great solution for our day-to-day operations," said Justin Crowther, Executive Director at Jefferson County 911 Center. "RapidSOS is taking one piece of our call-taking process and automating it so that is one less call that a call taker must process. It relieves the stress of ringing phone lines and eases the workflow for 911 staff. This solution just makes sense."
"Getting up and running with Alarm Call Automation was very easy," said Doug Workman, Emergency Communications Center Manager at Town of Cary 911 Center. "By reducing the time spent on manual call handling, dispatchers can focus more on high-priority tasks and direct resources more effectively. And by using standardized questions, the AI-driven automation ensures that all necessary details are consistently included, which can aid in better decision-making and resource allocation."
Providing One, Unified Picture of An Emergency
In an emergency, RapidSOS intelligently fuses millions of sensor feeds into one unified picture of an incident, allowing public safety officials to view real-time location, health profile, telematics, alarm data, hazmat, multimedia feeds, and more. Over 21,000 public safety agencies process over 170 million emergencies with RapidSOS annually.
Pairing alarm automation with RapidSOS digital alerts helps save time in critical moments. A fail safe process is also in place to help escalate an alarm call to a telecommunicator if any issues occur.
Alarm Call Automation can be added into RapidSOS UNITE and plugged into RapidSOS' network of 4,600 public safety software integrations. The Alarm Call Automation module can be configured to support each agency's protocols, including:
- Alarm call comes into 10-digit, non-emergency line at the 911 center
- The Alarm Call Automation Module (RapidSOS HARMONY) answers the alarm call, asking relevant questions – as determined by the ECC – to gather key information and help verify the incident
- Where applicable, HARMONY fuses verbal interrogation with relevant sensor feeds to provide the most comprehensive picture of the incident possible
- HARMONY consolidates that data into a digital alert populated in CAD and/or RapidSOS UNITE and updates it in real-time as the call progresses
For further details about RapidSOS UNITE, the Alarm Processing Module and the Safety Pioneer Program, please visit https://rapidsos.com/unite-alarm-call-automation/.
About RapidSOSRapidSOS is an intelligent safety company that harnesses artificial and human intelligence to fuse life-saving data from 540M+ connected devices, apps, and sensors from 200+ global technology companies to over 21,000 public safety agencies in six countries. Whether there's an unsafe moment or an emergency, RapidSOS Ready devices, vehicles, homes, or buildings deliver essential data to the right place when it matters most. Learn more at www.RapidSOS.com.
