Each year, over 250 million calls are made to 9-1-1 in the United States, relying primarily on the limited context of a phone call. This can result in delays in dispatch and under-informed first responders.
Vancouver’s Brave Technology Coop and RapidSOS have announced a partnership that will not only improve encounters between first responders and callers, but also empower people who use drugs to maintain their safety and ensure that those at risk of accidental drug overdose have access to the help they need, when they need it.
Built in partnership with public safety, RapidSOS’s emergency response data platform securely links life-saving data from over 350 million connected devices and platforms directly to 9-1-1 nationwide.
Brave is a multi-stakeholder cooperative, working out of Vancouver and Columbus, Ohio, with the sole focus is preventing overdose death.
Through this integration, Brave is recognized as RapidSOS Ready, allowing critical emergency data to be sent directly to 9-1-1 in the case of accidental drug overdoses.
The RapidSOS integration with Brave’s tools and technology, including the Brave Button and Brave App, gives Brave users the option to connect with 9-1-1 in an emergency. In addition to location information, RapidSOS also supports the secure sharing of details like the caller’s profile and their emergency contact to increase the amount and accuracy of data first responders can obtain during a call.
“Everyone deserves access to the help they need through a fair, purposeful flow of information – without fear of judgment or legal repercussion. This shift will help empower people who use Brave’s tools to receive front-line, responder help easily through the RapidSOS Platform at a time when they are most at risk. It will be instrumental in reducing accidental overdose deaths,” said Oona Krieg, Chief Operating Officer for Brave.
“At Brave, we design interventions that prevent accidental overdose deaths while providing much-needed harm reduction connections to the healthcare system. Our partnership with RapidSOS will allow us to increase our reach, impact, and ability to support communities with proximity to emergency services across the United States.”
According to Viyas Sundaram, General Manager at RapidSOS, “We’re united in our commitment to creating a safer, stronger future where technology and people work together seamlessly to protect and save lives. Together with Brave, we’re providing people who use drugs with an added layer of safety and security, and we’re supporting our first responders in saving millions of lives annually.”
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