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Broward County\u2019s 911 system will add livestreaming and better location tracking. The $25 million contract with Motorola will be funded by a Florida 911 fee.<\/p>\n
Broward Sheriff\u2019s Office via CBS News Miami<\/p>\n
Big changes are on the way for how residents can reach 911 in Broward County. On Tuesday, the Broward County Commission unanimously approved a major overhaul of the 911 dispatch system.<\/p>\n
The updates are designed to improve location accuracy and will allow callers to send recorded videos and even livestream video directly to dispatchers.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore we would call 911, the person would answer the phone, \u2018Where are you? What\u2019s your location,\u2019 and then dispatch law enforcement,\u201d said Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen. \u201cNow, it\u2019s video, text, a phone call, and it can identify that person\u2019s location better, and it\u2019s faster processing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The $25 million contract with Motorola will be funded over 10 years by the Florida Department of Management Services\u2019 911 fee. Bogen said the upgrade will boost public safety and give dispatchers a clearer picture of emergencies as they unfold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if there\u2019s a need just to video stream it, and you don\u2019t say a word, so this gives much more safety to the person,\u201d Bogen said, adding that \u201cevery second counts\u201d in an emergency. The person receiving the call will also have a \u201cmuch better idea of what is going on and what danger there is\u201d.<\/p>\n
The new system will also automatically transfer calls to other centers if one is busy, helping prevent delays.<\/p>\n
Regarding previous criticism of Broward\u2019s 911 system, Bogen said those issues were due to staffing shortages that have been corrected.<\/p>\n
\u201cStaff were leaving to go get higher-paid jobs elsewhere. Palm Beach County<\/a> was offering higher salaries, Miami-Dade<\/a> was offering higher salaries, so we upped their salaries, we have full staffing now,\u201d Bogen said. He added that the Broward Sheriff\u2019s Office is \u201crunning it great. And we don\u2019t have any complaints at all from the 911.\u201d<\/p>\n County officials expect the new system to be ready by summer 2028. CBS News Miami reached out to the Broward Sheriff\u2019s Office<\/a>, Fort Lauderdale<\/a> Fire Rescue and Broward County officials and requested an interview with a first responder, but was told no one was available.<\/p>\n