Community members in Livingston County have deployed technology that turns their standard security cameras into a powerful resource for 911 Emergency Communications Center telecommunicators (911 professionals).

“It’s all about response time: The key to saving lives, curtailing damage and rapidly resolving an emergency of any kind — whether it’s a natural disaster, fire, mass shooting or other criminal activity — is getting accurate information to first responders so they can take quick, decisive action,” said Mike Murphy, Livingston County Sheriff.

While security cameras are ubiquitous at schools and businesses, 911 telecommunicators typically cannot access them in an emergency. Eagle Eye 911 Camera Sharing changes that by giving telecommunicators instant access to live video from one or multiple security cameras when a 911-triggered emergency occurs, empowering them to quickly deliver critical incident information to first responders through a partnership with RapidSOS.

Telecommunicators generally rely on verbal information from 911 callers. Now, with Camera Sharing, the telecommunicator can also have “eyes on the scene” and, within seconds, gather an immense amount of information.

“Camera Sharing gives us a real-time view of the situation at hand as it’s unfolding,” said Kecia Williams, 911 Director, Livingston County 911 Central Dispatch. “Lots of times it takes a while to attain pertinent information from a 911 caller because they’re distraught or not clear. With Camera Sharing, we can instantly see for ourselves what’s going on, and we can get this information to the fire department, EMS or law enforcement much quicker.”

Livingston County is the first county in Michigan to demo the new technology at the Livingston Educational Service Agency in Howell, an organization that works with local school districts to provide educational services and support to 26,000 students throughout the county.

“I am impressed with the Camera Sharing technology and can see the potential for improving response times by first responders to critical events in our community,” said Michael Hubert, Superintendent of Livingston Educational Service Agency.

Joe Bommarito of Elite Fire Safety, a division of Sciens Building Solutions, a security integrator based in Novi, Michigan, said, “Most businesses and schools already have security cameras that can easily be connected to Eagle Eye 911 Camera Sharing, which is a first-of-its-kind technology that has cybersecurity and privacy protections built in. As a former law enforcement officer, I believe camera sharing can significantly improve the outcome of emergencies and improve safety and security for first responders.”

Dean Drako, CEO of Eagle Eye Networks said, “Livingston County is a prime example of a growing trend we’re seeing in the U.S. where entire communities — schools, businesses, public safety officials and community leaders — are working together to ensure they are prepared as possible for emergency situations.”