‘Game changer’: Nashville’s new 911 technology could improve response time officials say

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) -New technology at Nashville’s Emergency Communications Center could help 911 callers get the response they need faster. Call takers can now hear and see what the 911 caller sees in real-time through a platform called “Prepared.”

“This new technology that we’re equipping our emergency call takers and dispatchers with is definitely a game changer,” said PIO James Matthews with the Department of Emergency Communications.

“Before we had this new platform and this new tool, the emergency telecommunicators only had what they heard in their ear,” explained Matthews. “We didn’t have the capability to connect with live video to see what the caller was seeing to, ya know, enhance their response.”

Dispatcher Cecily Kelly takes up to 55 calls in one shift. WSMV4’s Holly Thompson asked what difference this new system makes for call takers at the 911Center.

”It’s incredible," replied Kelly. “It’s more advantageous to both callers and for us to be able to find them (the 911 caller) for one, and to get help for them as quickly as we can.”

“Now we can identify where exactly they’re located, what’s going on visually. They can show us through their phone camera, what’s going on around them,” added Kelly.

Through the platform, call takers can send a link to 911 callers, asking them to allow video sharing. The new technology allowed Kelly to pinpoint the location of a disoriented hiker who was lost in heavily wooded Beaman Park in northwestern Davidson County and get him the help he needed.

“I sent the link. He clicked on it. It connected through, and it gave me his coordinates here,” said Kelly.

The platform also uses artificial intelligence to transcribe a live call.

“The tools that this platform brings us is pretty much putting a part-time dispatcher on the shoulders of all of our emergency call takers and dispatchers,” explained Matthews. The new system is another set of eyes and ears so call takers can make sure they heard the caller correctly, get them the proper help needed, and process the information faster.

Another feature is the system’s ability to act as a live interpreter, translating 33 languages automatically. It can also translate more than 130 languages spoken live through text.

“In Nashville, we have a wide, you know, variety of demographics, and we want to make sure that we can connect with anybody, regardless of the language that they speak,” said Matthews.

Also new with this system- real-time alerts. Nashville’s Emergency Communications Center experimented with this year’s CMA Fest, using various keywords that were triggered, letting them know when there was a possible critical incident.

“The second they said that artist’s name, our emergency call taker and our emergency tactical dispatcher immediately got a flag saying there was a keyword detected,” said Matthews.

Tactical dispatchers could instantly connect and click on the call, review it, and make the notifications necessary to get people the help they need.

“Seven or eight keyword notifications, that could be an indication to the tactical dispatcher,” explained Matthews, “that there’s an emergency occurring. There’s a larger scale emergency occurring.”

The platform is a safety tool that these 911 telecommunicators say is helping Nashville be even more prepared for its big events, especially when even seconds matter.

“I would consider this technology absolutely life-saving,” said Matthews.

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