The RapidSOS team had an amazing experience at the APCO 2023 Conference in Nashville! Every year, APCO offers us a fantastic platform to engage with the public safety sector, enabling us to exchange ideas and perspectives on the revolutionary ways in which technology is reshaping the industry to enhance life-saving measures.
Didn’t get a chance to make the trip to Nashville? Below, we’ve provided a quick list of some of the key highlights from APCO’23:
1. Multimedia and AI are empowering emergency response – Top of mind throughout the conference was the anticipated arrival of new technology and its ability to reduce response times. The potential of multimedia technology, real-time video feeds, and AI-powered algorithms was discussed as having a revolutionary impact on how emergency services analyze information, enabling quicker and more accurate decision-making.
2. Active assailant response has become more advanced and data-driven – Multiple sessions throughout APCO touched on key lessons that 911 telecommunicators and law enforcement have learned from responding to past active assailant emergencies. When faced with the unique challenges presented by these tragedies, speakers emphasized the importance of data-driven contextual awareness to make sense of chaotic incidents and help save lives.
3. Mobile apps are putting real-time data in the hands of first responders – Mobile applications, like IamResponding, are increasingly being used by first responders to help reduce response times and provide critical incident data before they arrive at the scene of an emergency.
The RapidSOS booth at APCO 2023
4. Drones are coming to public safety – APCO attendees were also eager to hear about public safety innovation and how new technology, like drones, will soon be playing a transformative role in responding to a variety of emergency situations.
5. Staffing challenges are a recurring concern for 911 – Throughout the week, some of the most commonly cited challenges facing public safety were those related to staffing. To help address the staffing challenge, sessions at APCO discussed how new AI technologies including automated call-handling, improved translation service options, and transcription can help reduce staffing time on the phone.
While there were many fascinating topics that stood out to the RapidSOS team at APCO 2023, having the opportunity to reconnect with all of the incredible and dedicated individuals in public safety is always the most inspiring highlight. We look forward to seeing you at APCO 2024!