Gratiot Co. launches software to help with 911 calls

GRATIOT CO., Mich. (WNEM) - Gratiot County 911 has a new tool in its belt to help respond to emergencies.

With a new software program called Prepared Live, Gratiot County Central Dispatch can livestream, receive multimedia, and GPS location from mobile callers in real-time.

The new technology will allow dispatchers to respond to emergencies in the community more effectively and efficiently, Gratiot County Central Dispatch said.

“I am pleased to add this tool to aid our public safety telecommunicators which can better depict incidents,” Gratiot County Central Dispatch Director Dan Morden said. “Video will be an integral part of the road to NG911, recognizing pictures and/or video is worth a thousand words!”

Gratiot County is among the first 100 public safety answering points nationwide to implement the Prepared software.

Using video during a call is completely voluntary. If the caller consents to using video during the call, they’ll be instructed to place their device on speaker and will receive a livestream link via text. This will allow the caller to activate a live video with just a click.

The video call function does not give Gratiot County Central Dispatch access to the contents or settings of the caller’s phone.

The launch follows two weeks of preparation and training to ensure dispatchers can properly use the software.