CONWAY, Ark. — On Wednesday, the City of Conway will roll out a new system for 911 calls, and first responders said it's significant for them and the community.
The new system, Next Generation 911, will help first responders better know where you are with advanced location services, help give direct medical information from your phone, offer more ways you can ask for help—like by text or online and give first responders a live look at the situation with the ability for camera access.
The system aims to provide safer and faster responses to emergency calls, and Conway Police Officer Matthew Boyd said he's looking forward to it.
"Anytime we can get more information, it's going to help us respond better," Boyd said. "Our dispatchers can see if there are any traffic jams we're unaware of to better route fire trucks, ambulances and police response to situations."
Once help arrives, the new next-generation software could help them better assess the situation by helping with first aid preparation and officer safety and providing real-time records that Conway City Attorney Charles Finkenbinder could use to prosecute a crime.
"There's at least one case where a domestic violence victim was able to call 911 using Next Gen over Skype and was able to send video images of the injuries that she had," Finkenbinder said. "They were not only able to tell how badly she was hurt, but also where she was in the house, like the exact location."
Now that victims can contact 911 through Skype or text, Finkenbinder hopes more people will do the same.
"There are cases where human trafficking victims have been able to make discreet phone calls using this internet protocol," Finkenbinder said. "They might not have been able to use a traditional cell phone or landline to make the call safely.
Conway city officials said the health data first responders receive has to be voluntarily shared through the Medical ID on Apple devices, which can be accessed through phone settings.
The city said the $100,000 system is a routine upgrade every five years. Conway will join about 50 other centers in Arkansas that are already using this upgraded system when it rolls out on Wednesday.