By Suzie Ziegler
NEW YORK — Sirius XM and Rapid SOS are partnering to help first responders save more lives.
According to a press release, the partnership will allow SiriusXM to transmit vehicle crash data to 911 immediately after a crash. Data collected from Sirius XM’s Connected Vehicle Services ACN+ technology will be forwarded to 911 personnel by RapidSOS’s emergency response platform, according to the release.
This allows first responders to receive more critical information about the nature of the crash before arriving on scene, the release said.
Sirius XM Connected Vehicle Services is integrated in 10 million vehicles in North America, according to the release. Last year, the company alerted 911 call centers to hundreds of thousands of crashes through verbal contact. By integrating with RapidSOS, the company expects to send more accurate information in a shorter amount of time to call centers.
“The integration of Sirius XM’s ACN+ service and the RapidSOS emergency response data platform is a game changer for public safety,” said Tyrell Morris, Director at Orleans Parish Communication District, in a statement. “This technology will help our 911 telecommunicators allocate resources more efficiently and provide our first responders with unprecedented situational awareness when responding to vehicle emergencies.”
Data sent to 911 by Sirius XM technology includes location of the incident, airbag status, crash impact data, number of passengers in the vehicle and their seating status, vehicle description and driver contact information. For accounts linked to RapidSOS, subscribers can also provide their demographic data and medical information.
“This collaboration enables us for the first time to immediately send data from both the vehicle and our databases to 911, regardless of the technology used in the receiving 911 center,” said John Jasper, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Sirius XM Connected Vehicle Services, in the release. “The result is emergency responders get more information that helps them make quicker decisions about the resources and potential triage needed at the crash scene.”