Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle ECC using new 911 technology

Published: Aug. 10, 2022 at 4:25 PM EDT

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The Charlottesville, UVA, Albemarle County ECC is using new 911 technology to make its response to calls even faster with a click of a button.

If a dispatcher thinks its necessary, they can send a link to the caller to join a video chat.

From there, ECC says it can get a better idea of where the person is and even communicate over text.

“As soon as those permissions are granted, the call taker will see your camera on their screen in real time. They can see where you are, they can see what’s going on, and that can really help improve the situational awareness and the ability to locate you if you’re not sure where you are,” Deputy Director of Support Services Josh Powell said.

This can also help people from out of town who are lost, or even those who are blind.

The ECC is also sending out feedback surveys to callers over text.

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