Wes Wright Quoted in Inc. Magazine Article on 911 Services

Keller and Heckman Partner Wes Wright was quoted in the Inc. Magazine article, “After a Tragedy, This Founder Launched a Company to Finally Make 911 Services High-Tech.” The article details the history of a company called RapidDeploy – a cloud-based platform co-founded by Steve Raucher that aims to bring emergency services into the digital age. The innovative service saves lives by providing emergency telecommunicators and first responders with data such as video and precise location information for a caller in distress. Without innovative companies like RapidDeploy supporting 911 callers and public safety answering points (PSAPs), the 911 system in many parts of the country would limit callers to voice-only communications without the enhanced location and other supplemental information that 911 callers may expect a PSAP to be able to access. “But up until the point [somebody has] to dial 911, they don't really think about how the system works,” pointed out Wes. “They don’t question that it will work.”

However, getting RapidDeploy or any other next generation 911 service adopted into wide usage can be costly. States and localities often cannot upgrade existing systems while maintaining and operating the old and simultaneously training staff. “That’s where the federal government steps in,” said Wes. A full NG911 conversion has not yet happened, but providers like RapidDeploy stand ready to continue filling in the gaps of our existing 911 system.

To read the full article, please click here (subscription required).