News Round Up – Oct. 2020

Experts are warning of a winter surge in COVID-19 cases as the U.S. surpasses 9 million positive cases. The pandemic continues to dominate the conversation in both the private and public sectors. The following months might challenge us to rethink whether the pandemic is over and consider just how deeply this has changed our relationship with our communities and public safety as a whole.

Tech and Public Safety 

Q3 2020: A new annual record for digital health (already)

Adoption of digital health tools and strategies has been spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic, making this year the largest funding year ever for digital health.

Silicon Valley is making disaster preparedness a brand

Funding for disaster and emergency-related start-ups has quadrupled since 2016 to more than $210 million last year, creating a “go-bag” of digital emergency preparedness applications.  

911 News You Should Know

Despite virus scare at local 911 center, the calls don’t stop

Snohomish County 911 has been a life-saving resource to its community since February, after it became home to the first person in the U.S. to test positive with COVID-19. 

RapidSOS in the News

You can add your health info for 911 calls in Charlotte County

Charlotte County is RapidSOS Ready and is now receiving life-saving health and profile information from 911 callers with Emergency Health Profiles. 

RapidSOS, Partners Create Free Public Safety Tech Service

RapidSOS, along with several public-sector partners, are collaborating on the R2 Network, an educational and professional resource for the public safety industry. 

Technology partnership to integrate 999 system with medical information

Teaming up with The MedicAlert Foundation UK in its first European partnership, RapidSOS will securely share life-saving data on MedicAlert members’ pre-existing conditions, allergies, and medication regimes directly with the UK’s NHS in an emergency.