Emergency responders roll out new 911 video call system

Louisville Metro Emergency Services unveiled a new tool on Wednesday that hopes to save lives during 911 calls.

It’s called Video to 911, and it lets 911 call takers initiate live video streams, similar to FaceTime calls, with a caller’s consent during emergency situations.

“This is a really big day for us,” said Jody Meiman, executive director of Louisville Metro Emergency Services, in a news release sent to WAVE News. “It’s another tool in the toolbox to enhance the safety of all of our first responders that are out in the field.”

Call takers have been testing the new system for about 45 days, and it is now in use, with plans to roll it out to first responders in the coming weeks.

“This helps first responders assess situations faster, make more informed decisions, and help people even more effectively,” said Mayor Craig Greenberg in a news release sent to WAVE News. “This is another great example of the steps Metro Government is taking to support our public safety professionals and protect our community.”

Louisville Metro Emergency Services representative said it will help public safety professionals in the field by providing the most appropriate response and reducing the amount of time it takes to get information from callers.

“If they had a car accident, they’re hurting, they’re freaking out, you try to keep them calmed down, you try to talk to somebody during their worst moment, and someone who has never had an incident, a young person, having their first car accident, they’re hurt, and it may take them 5-6 minutes to calm down,” said 911 call taker Devin Lovan. “It may take them another 2-3 minutes to tell me what’s happening. Now I have to figure out where they are.”

Lovan has worked with Louisville Metro Emergency Services for the past seven years and said he loves using the new video tool so far.

“A successful day in my mind is being able to help at least one person that day,” Lovan said. “It gives us another tool to help.”

The Video to 911 tool will also help in a CPR situation. A dispatcher might try to give directions on how to perform CPR – now – they can watch – and see that a person is performing it correctly.

The caller must agree to use the video call after being connected. The videos are recorded for historical purposes and can be blurred if they’re too traumatic for the caller. This system wouldn’t be used for minor emergencies, and there’s criteria for when it should be used.