OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – The Oconee County E-911 Communications Center receives about 100,000 calls a year, according to the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office. None of the calls are the same.
“There is no routine call in law enforcement,” Master Deputy Jimmy Watt said.
The county’s dispatchers can now get a better look at the situation they are sending first responders to through the program, Prepared Live.
“It’s able to provide real-time intelligence to our first responders,” Watt said.
If a person calls 911, the dispatcher can text the caller a link. The caller can then choose to text or start a live video with the dispatcher to show them the emergency. They can also send the dispatcher photos and videos.
“Only what the caller sends or grants permission to the dispatcher to see is the only information the dispatcher will see,” Watt explained.
Watt said these tools can help protect law enforcement and provide them with a better understanding of what type of situation they are responding to before they arrive.
If a caller receives a link, they can also send the dispatcher their GPS coordinates.
“In a life-threatening situation, it could mean the difference between life and death,” Watt said.
The tools are optional. A caller is not required to use them if they receive a link.
Dispatchers will not send the link if they believe it could put the caller or any bystander in danger, according to Watt.
