Scott City dispatch center gets upgraded

Officials in Scott City have rolled out new technology upgrades at the dispatch center that will save time locating callers and give responders a better idea of the situation they're about to roll up to.

One of the upgrades gives dispatchers access to video from the caller. The technology sends a link to a caller. If and when the caller clicks on the link and gives permission, the dispatch center can get a live view of the caller's cellphone video. This video feed can be shared to responders.

Dan King, the emergency manager and 911 supervisor at Scott City, said this could help a fire department see the state of a burning building as they're headed to the scene. The "Prepared Live 911" system could also allow an abuse or kidnapping victim to use the recording function discreetly. The technology includes privacy settings where the phone can record and send videos to dispatch, while the phone itself turns black.

King has also ushered in new technology allowing dispatchers to narrow down on a cellphone caller's location with the use of Wi-Fi technology. Cellphone towers can give a general location, but depending on the technology involved, the cell towers may not offer a precise location. Scott City has adopted technology that can pull in a phone's data from nearby Wi-Fi. King said this is the technology a phone uses to ask a user whether they want to sign into Wi-Fi. The phone can pull in several Wi-Fi options within the vicinity, and narrow down a caller's location to an area inside a house.

King said the first information dispatchers need from a person is their location, so if for some reason they're disconnected, dispatchers can send someone to the scene. He said the Wi-Fi technology can find locations faster, which is a big advantage in response time.

"I'm always looking for technology that helps speed things up," King said.

Scott City has also subscribed to a new technology that can send out mass text alerts based on geographical areas. This is the same technology adopted by other government entities that send out weather warnings. This means dispatch could send texts regarding local issues such as boil-water alerts or missing persons in the area.

The department plans on adopting a new kit, called CallWorks Nomad, which allows for an emergency call-dispatch center to be established in moments of crisis where a dispatch has been affected by a disaster. All the dispatcher needs is power and a cell signal or Wi-Fi connection to resume dispatch functionality. The kit is equipped with a laptop and the necessary software.

The city will also institute technology called "emergency medical dispatch." This gives dispatchers tools to begin acquiring specific medical information while first responders are in route. When dispatchers receive a medical call and enter the symptoms and conditions into the system, the dispatcher is given questions to ask the caller. That information is passed along to medical responders en route.

Scott City tax dollars and grants were used to purchase the different technology upgrades.

King, who began serving in Scott City in November 2020, said he has worked in medic and dispatch roles in several places in Missouri.

"I've never worked in a place that supports dispatch as much as Scott City," King said. He said the City Council has backed the upgrades.

Scott City dispatch has eight staff members. In addition to handling emergency calls for the Scott City police and fire departments, the dispatch center handles calls for North Scott County Ambulance and Kelso.