New Emergency Video System Allows Public To Live-Stream Emergencies To Police and SCDF
Sometimes it is hard to put things into words when you are caught up in a sticky situation. However, this can take up valuable time when you are trying to describe the circumstances to emergency services.
On Monday (20 Mar), the Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force jointly launched a new Emergency Video System (EVS).
This will allow ‘999’ and ‘995’ callers to live stream their surroundings to officers at the Operations Centres.
Emergency Video System will help officers better understand complex & dynamic situations
In a press release, SPF said the new EVS will be implemented at the Police Operations Command Centre (POCC) and the SCDF Operations Centre.
They explained that officers at the operation bases may encounter difficulties understanding the situation.
This is especially so for more “complex and dynamic situations”. In these cases, the caller may not be able to properly communicate the extent of the incident.
The new EVS system will allow officers to get a real-time view of situations. This will help them to better assess the caller’s circumstances and help with decision-making.
The new system is jointly developed by SPF, SCDF and HTX, in collaboration with ST Engineering.
Operation Centres can launch live-stream without needing callers to download new app
SPF and SCDF officers can initiate the live stream ‘function’ from the caller’s mobile phone with their consent, if they think it will help with a ‘999’ or ‘995’ incident.
Source: SPF on Facebook
The caller will then receive an SMS with a hyperlink when the EVS is activated. All the caller has to do is stay on the line and tap on the link.
The link will launch the caller’s web browser on their phone and allow them to live stream the incident to the operator. They can do so without needing to install any new applications. At the same time, the system will also transmit the caller’s location to the Operations Centre.
It is important for the caller to stay on the line while live-streaming — this ensures that the officer can speak to the caller while monitoring the video feed.
Source: SPF on Facebook
As the EVS is a shared system, SPF and SCDF can also use the same video feed for major emergencies that involve both agencies, such as major fires.
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force on Facebook.
