LAURINBURG — Scotland County Emergency Communications has announced the launch of Prepared Live in its 9-1-1 dispatch center.

Built by the company Prepared, the software enables the 9-1-1 dispatch center to livestream, receive multimedia and receive locations from mobile callers in real time. This addition to the center’s technology is expected to significantly improve its ability to effectively and efficiently respond to emergencies in the community.

“We decided to launch Prepared Live because I believe that in the digital age, every second counts in an emergency,” said Samantha Dutch, director of Scotland County Emergency Communications. “By enabling this technology within our 9-1-1 dispatch center, we are bridging the gap between technology and public safety. This addition to our technology suite empowers us to respond with greater situational awareness and with greater precision, ultimately saving lives and making our community safer than ever before.”

Participation in video during a call is completely voluntary and consent of the caller is required. If the caller consents, they will receive a livestream link via text from the dispatcher, enabling them to activate live video upon click.

It’s important to note that the video call function also does not provide Scotland County Emergency Communications with access to the contents or settings of a caller’s phone.

This launch follows several weeks of preparation and training to ensure that our telecommunicators and 9-1-1 dispatch center team are able to properly utilize the software, according to Dutch. Working side-by-side with Prepared’s customer success team, staff has created and adopted policies to ensure that Prepared Live is used effectively in various scenarios.

Originally founded as a company focused on school safety, Preparedis a mission-driven organization with a passion for improving public safety. Since its public launch in October of 2021, Prepared Live has helped protect more than two million American citizens in cities around the country.

To learn more about Prepared and Prepared Live, visit Prepared911.com.