Emergency Communication Centers (ECCs) face rising challenges every year, as legacy systems and infrastructure fail to keep pace with advances in technology and tight budgets. This often leads to increased response time as dispatchers struggle to correctly prioritize calls and first responders and resources are stretched thin.
Even home security alarms are a double-edged sword: On the one hand, they can reduce home break-ins significantly, but on the other, they can lead to confusion and delays when it comes to emergency response.Â
Challenges related to traditional security monitoring alerts
False alarmsÂ
A whopping 9 out of 10 security alarms aren’t emergencies at all. Unfortunately, traditional central monitoring stations may not be able to verify whether or not an alert is a false trigger, meaning it must be treated as a real emergency. This can bump such calls up the queue and take away from a real priority call that is left waiting for a response. Some areas receive so many false alarms that security alert monitoring center calls are automatically deprioritized, meaning individuals experiencing a home emergency could face an extended wait for response.
Bare-bones data Â
Information provided by most central station monitoring centers is typically minimal. It’s transmitted via an analog voice phone call, and includes little or no rich data that could better inform first responders about the situation in the field. This lack of data can significantly reduce the effectiveness of emergency response, while making the situation more dangerous for those already on scene and those arriving. Â
Poor use of resources Â
Multiple alerts from a monitoring center coming in through the phone lines can tie up resources in the ECC, making it harder for telecommunicators to get the information they need to swiftly define the problem and allocate the appropriate response. If there are several calls coming in about alerts in the same general area, it can be difficult to build a clear picture and ascertain if it’s a prank in progress (deliberate triggering of alarms across a neighborhood) or a planned, concerted series of home break-ins.Â
RapidSOS Monitoring for Connected Device Companies
RapidSOS Monitoring is a 24/7 monitoring and verification service. Connected device and alarm companies can now opt-in for enhanced emergency verification and digital integration with ECCs in an emergency.
Here are 3 ways RapidSOS Monitoring can reduce emergency response times:
Human verification
A human verification step is needed for certain emergency alerts initiated by connected devices. RapidSOS monitoring delivers the ideal solution: Trained professionals operate from a central monitoring station to receive alerts and verify emergencies before forwarding verified emergency information to telecommunicators. This helps reduce the number of false alarms and lessens demands on ECC resources, speeding emergency response. Also, reduction of false alarms to the ECCs results in less call volume on the ECCs, which are already facing staffing crises. Telecommunicators who receive an alert can be confident they have a verified emergency
Rich data provision
Our monitoring center agents receive real-time data, including medical profiles, precise locations and other key data via various mediums from the connected devices. Upon emergency verification, we immediately transfer video, images and custom multimedia to the closest ECC for dispatch to assign first responders. The availability of additional, highly accurate information gives telecommunicators much-needed data in formats that they can quickly digest. It also drives a more informed, efficient dispatch of resources to the scene.
Faster verificationÂ
With the RapidSOS monitoring center solution in place, ECCs benefit from reduced time to verify incidents and can deploy appropriate resources faster. The technology provides telecommunicators with the ability to digitally receive incident alerts and alarm data through RapidSOS via the central monitoring station. This can allow telecommunicators to not only increase operational efficiencies, but also provide a data-enriched emergency response with better accuracy and speed.Â
Decreasing emergency response times saves lives. So does cutting false alarms out of the loop and making sure only verified alerts are taking up telecommunicators’ valuable time. When connected device companies partner with RapidSOS for monitoring center support, everyone wins.Â
To learn more about the RapidSOS Monitoring solution, reach out to our team today.Â