RapidDeploy Partners with South Carolina to Improve Outcomes of 988 Calls

Radius Mapping selected as 988 mapping solution to improve routing, communication, resource location, and 9-1-1 collaboration for the state of South Carolina

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today RapidDeploy, the leading cloud-native mapping and analytics solutions for Public Safety, announces that RapidDeploy's Radius Mapping has been selected by the Mental Health America of Greenville County as the new statewide 988 solution for the state of South Carolina. RapidDeploy is currently deployed statewide in 9 states and in hundreds of local 9-1-1 centers across the country. This is its first statewide venture into 988 centers.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline launched over the summer as a 3-digit code that is easy to remember for people who are in an emotional, substance, or suicidal crisis. As mental health concerns continue to grow across the nation, 988 is an important tool for communities to support their people in need. Since 988 is new and the number of calls are growing, many states are collaborating with 9-1-1 on available services and how to better communicate with callers in a more intentional and purposeful way.  

RapidDeploy is a leader in 9-1-1 call-taker mapping and analytics. Integrating with incoming calls, Radius Mapping supplies mobile handset caller location data, supplemental data for improved situational awareness, GIS authoritative data, and modern communication workflows with 2-way texting and streaming video, all in a single view. Radius Mapping will be used in South Carolina to solve some of the current challenges with 988 related to routing, communication, and resource location. 988 callers need to talk to people close by, in their local language, through text if needed, and 988 centers need to know the available resources to help. RapidDeploy supports them in all these efforts and more.

"We are excited to work with the RapidDeploy team and 9-1-1," said Jennifer Piver, Executive Director at Mental Health America of Greenville County. "Every second counts when a life is at risk."

Greenville County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina has been a user of Radius Mapping for many years, reducing response times and improving 9-1-1 caller outcomes. As part of the 988 and 9-1-1 collaboration they were able to make recommendations of 9-1-1 technology that would be support the needs of 988 as well.

"RapidDeploy has been a game-changer for Greenville County Sheriff's Office," said Amy McDowell, Deputy Director of E9-1-1 for Greenville County. "9-1-1 and 988 are working closely together in South Carolina, sharing tools like RapidDeploy that help us better support Greenville County citizens."

South Carolina is the first of many states to need and adopt this technology for 988. States across the country are experiencing similar 988 challenges, needing mapping capabilities to support where to route calls and resource availability, in addition to modern communication options. Just like South Carolina, many 988 centers working closely with local 9-1-1 centers and learning from each other.

"988 tackles the ever-growing problem of mental health in America," said Steve Raucher, CEO and Co-founder at RapidDeploy. "RapidDeploy is honored to work with the State of South Carolina to support their 988 centers and callers statewide."

As the number of 988 calls continue to grow, 988 leaders are adapting to better support their callers and communities. By investing in RapidDeploy Radius Mapping technology, South Carolina's 988 system has procured the foundation to adapt and grow as their needs evolve.

RapidDeploy is the industry's leading provider of mapping and analytics solutions, transforming 9-1-1 communications centers of any size into data-centric organizations. RapidDeploy achieves its mission of saving lives by reducing response times with new levels of situational awareness and the seamless integration of third-party data onto its cloud-native platform, ensuring it is available when, where, and how Telecommunicators and First Responders need it. To learn more, visit https://www.rapiddeploy.com/ and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

SOURCE RapidDeploy