Chula Vista Police Live Stream Emergency Calls Directly to Officers

CHULA VISTA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) – The Chula Vista Police Department is now livestreaming 911 emergency calls directly to officers on the scene.

Officers can hear the caller’s actual words and voice, giving them a sense of urgency, small details that might not otherwise be conveyed, and instant updates on the situation and location. Officers also see the caller’s location on a map.

This new technology – “Live911” – gives officers monitoring incoming emergency calls a “head start” by eliminating delays in routing, thereby reducing response times.

Using Live911, the officer has more information to develop a better response plan and targeted de-escalation techniques, allowing them to better serve the community.

“I used to think that police officers could hear 911 calls, but the truth is, no, that was never actually the case,” said Sergeant Tony Molina of the Chula Vista Police Department.

Chula Vista Police were the driving force behind this idea and worked with software company HigherGround to make it a reality. Since 2020, police have been testing the software and say it has been a lifesaver.

“We saved several people because the officers only heard it on the scene,” said incident commander Tina Larson. “They got there before the fire department and paramedics and started CPR.”

Late last year, police officers saved the life of a man who was in a burning car after it went off the freeway in San Diego County. Rather than wait for the California Highway Patrol to be dispatched, an on-duty police officer was able to hear callers reporting the incident in real time and decided that Chula Vista should respond immediately to save the man.

Across the country, 143 agencies have adopted Live911, including the Oceanside Police Department. In California, a total of 24 police and sheriff departments are customers.

“We are blessed with this special software. I told my boss if we ever get rid of this program, I’m going to hang up my headset because it’s so groundbreaking,” Larson said.