New app lets Cary first responders see what 911 callers see in real time

A new app is letting first responders see what callers are seeing when they call 911.

The town of Cary is one of the first municipalities in the state of North Carolina using the Prepared Live app.

Dispatchers in Cary said they’re getting photos or video from about two or three emergencies each hour. The footage gives first responders a glimpse of what to expect on their way to a scene. It helps them prepare for fires, crashes and car break-ins.

“I think you’ll see five years from now, it’ll be the default, but again, we’re just at the beginnings here,” said Cary’s Emergency Communications Operations Supervisor Jeremy Schwartzman.

Schwartzman said the process is simple. Once a 911 caller is in a position where it is safe to get video, a dispatcher puts the person’s phone number into the Prepared Live system. Then, the 911 caller is sent a link to tap using a smartphone. Once the caller taps the link, the person can start livestreaming the scene.

The Prepared Live app lets first responders better understand what they are getting into.

“What we’re seeing is the fire department might change [its] strategy before [firefighters] get there,” Schwartzman said. “The police department if [officers] have certain pieces of information might be looking for different things.”

The software can save vital seconds in an emergency. It could also help potentially save lives.

In June, a couple livestreamed a car break-in to dispatchers in Cary. The video helped Raleigh police make an arrest a few days later.

“This is something that is getting crystal clear information to first responders that we’ve really never seen before,” Schwartzman said.

As of Tuesday, Prepared Live said 20 municipalities in North Carolina are currently using its technology. It’s been available for about two years now.

Prepared Live, and services like it, are rapidly becoming standard across the country.

Former WRAL photographer shares his experience using Prepared Live

Former WRAL News photographer Jay Jennings has shot video of car crashes during his 43-year career.

He retired in the spring, but in July 2023 came upon a crash along Tryon Road in Cary. It involved an older couple in a white sedan and a red sedan with a dad and a couple of kids.

Jennings was surprised when he called 911.

“They said, ‘Are you still on the scene?’” Jennings said. “I said, ‘yes.’

“[They asked], ‘can you shoot video?’”

Jennings used Prepared Live to help first responders better understand what happened before arriving at the scene.