By Steven Sarabia
Publication Date: 2025-12-16 00:33:00
SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — In an emergency, every second counts. Instead of trying to describe the situation you’re in over the phone to a 911 dispatcher, a video chat might be more efficient.
“It’s pretty new technology,” said Karen Sutherland, the Scottsdale Police Department support services director.
In their latest update, Google announced that Android users can try a feature called Emergency Live Video, which allows dispatchers to send a link to users to set up a video call.
In Scottsdale, their dispatch team has been testing out similar tech that works with most smartphones. “We want to be really smart for when we are asking for something like that,” said Sutherland. She said they have found cases where it is useful and others where it is not.
When you call 911 in Scottsdale, if the dispatcher believes a video call might be more useful, they can send you a text with a link. That link will allow you to do a video chat.
Sutherland said the ideal scenario is when…
