AUBURN, Ala.- On April 12, Auburn Emergency Management & Communications is pleased to announce the launch of its new multimedia-capable 911 application which allows public safety telecommunicators to receive pictures and videos and even live stream with 911 callers and texters in real time.

The Alabama 9-1-1 Board announced a partnership with Prepared in December 2023 to make the company’s platform available statewide to increase 911 accessibility and enhance its capabilities.

With the new ability to receive and send media, telecommunicators are now able to disseminate critical information to first responders more quickly when seconds matter. This technology can also improve response strategies and safety for first responders.

For the 911 caller or texter to send media or live stream, the public safety telecommunicator must first send a secure link to their mobile device. The caller or texter must acknowledge and accept permissions for Prepared to send media to the Emergency Communications Center or live stream. Telecommunicators do not have access to any other media on the mobile device.

Additional enhanced features include call or text-to-911 with two-way foreign language translation. When a 911 text or call is received in a foreign language, the Prepared application will automatically detect and translate the message to telecommunicators. Responses will automatically translate to the caller or texter’s language. This two-way translation feature works to remove language barriers, allowing the telecommunicator’s understanding of the situation in seconds.

Auburn Emergency Management & Communications completed its migration to the Prepared technology on April 1 and is ready to utilize the technology as necessary.