Sensors Call 911 Too — and Now RapidSOS Has a Tool for That

It’s not just humans who call 911. Sometimes, in this increasingly connected world, it’s devices connected to sensors that send out requests for emergency help.

This concept guided us in introducing one of our newest public safety products to the market: the emergency call automation system from government technology provider RapidSOS.

The new offering joins a rich lineup of emergency management tools designed to reflect all the ways people—and things—communicate in the 21st century.

Citing a Frost & Sullivan report, RapidSOS said in a statement that “by 2027, more than half of all 911 calls will be triggered by a connected device, sensor or app.” That includes devices in people’s homes as well as alarm systems installed in offices and other places of business.

The company said the new product will help process alarm signals and determine which of them are false.

The idea is to use the latest technology to help first responders sort through the deluge of information that often comes with calls for help — one of the trends driving the adoption of increasingly advanced 911 systems.

“Our public safety partners are telling us that the proliferation of smart devices and sensors is leading to an increase in the number of alarms being called into the system, which is exacerbating staffing shortages in 911 centers,” said Karin Marquez, public safety brand director at RapidSOS, in a statement. “We partnered with public safety agencies to create Alarm Call Automation to help 911 focus their incredible skills and professionalism on real emergencies impacting their communities.”

The company’s customers can add Alarm Call Automation to the RapidSOS UNITE platform by configuring the new product according to their agency’s specific protocols.

The new tool can collect “key information and assist in incident verification,” the statement said, as well as “combine oral interviews with relevant sensor data to provide the most complete picture of the incident possible.”

The company said more than 21,000 public safety agencies use RapidSOS, processing more than 170 emergency call requests per year.

In Jefferson County, Tennessee, the new product has already begun to be used.

“Automating emergency calls has proven to be a great solution for our day-to-day operations,” said Justin Crowther, executive director of the Jefferson County 911 Center, in a statement. “RapidSOS takes one element of our call-answering process and automates it, so the call taker has to process one less call.”

The launch of the technology comes as government technology vendors are paying more attention to commercial fire alerts, which often involve sensors and other connected devices.

For example, earlier this year, RapidSOS announced a partnership with Hexagon on a digital notification service for commercial buildings.