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a more complete picture of what’s hap- pening on scene. The systems are two parts of a whole. Both are required to create an interoperable 21st century public safety system. MAKING EMS SMARTER A contact lens that transmits alerts when there’s a life-threatening change in a diabetic’s blood sugar level… 4
INCREASING EMS PROVIDER SAFETY
evolving world of sensors and medical applications. To optimize this information flow, PSAPs and public safety will make their own decision about how best to filter, prioritize and utilize it. “Dispatchers can’t touch or see the patient. Everything they do is remote through the eyes and ears of someone
A ‘call’ can take a variety of forms with NG911. In the future, 911 call-takers will be able to receive, process and store rich data that comes in as text, pictures or videos from the public and other sources. Even better, this infor- mation can be relayed quickly to EMS and other responders.
else,” Dale says. NG911 equips dispatchers with virtual eyes and ears through images and rich digital data. For example, video sent from a caller’s smart phone could allow dis- patchers to more rapidly and accurately assess a patient’s condition, even running diagnos- tics like a stroke screen. “I could ask you to flip video on and see if their left arm droops down a bit or if they have an asymmetrical smile,” explains Fales. “And that information can be pushed to paramedics before they arrive.” That smartphone can also transmit crucial patient data. Callers can pre-authorize their smartphones to deliver their medical histories to dispatch, which can
For example, during a chemical leak at an industrial complex, real-time data from sen- sors could be streamed to dispatch, and then forwarded to respond- ers before they arrive on scene. “We’d know what we’re walking into and can have the right re- sources,” says Zavadsky. Other scenarios include knowing an active shooter’s exact loca- tion by mapping them with cameras, sensors and other devices; and the option of texting 911 when a phone call poses a potential risk. For example, if a victim texts a message about an assailant threatening her with a gun, this can alert 911 that sending a full response with lights and sirens may pose a safety risk.
A bra that detects signs of a heart attack in women and relays it to a 911 call center… Smartphones that are pre-programmed to transmit a patient’s medical records to 911 dispatchers… These innovations are in differ- ent stages of development; some are already in use and eventually NG911-enabled call centers will be able to receive this type of rich data. NG911 holds the promise of making EMS smarter by leveraging the fast-
then forward relevant information to EMS responders en route. “It’s a window into my assessment of the pa- tient,” explains Gainor. “This man had a head injury ten years ago, or evaluat- ing vital signs against their medical records.” For patients dependent on devices like heart monitors or ventilators, NG911 creates an information portal; sensors on the devices can automatically con- tact 911 for a patient in distress.
In the future, a fully enabled NG911 systemwill support sharing rich digital data about a dangerous situ- ation with other responders over FirstNet. (See page 2, “Understanding Next Generation 911”). FirstNet is a dedicated wireless public safety broad- band network that allows emergency telecommunicators to share enhanced information gathered from the public with first responders—thus improving situational awareness. Responders are also able to communicate and share vital information with each other. Together, NG911 and FirstNet provide
NG911 also opens the door to sharing a
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