Everyday Emergencies: Challenges and Designs Involving 9-1-1 Systems

Abstract Since late 1960’s, 9-1-1 calls in North America have been answered over audio calls. However, this method of information collection can prove to be challenging as the call-taker relies on the caller and has no visual way of confirming facts. Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) is a mandated move by the Canadian government to include multimedia features like, video-calling, photo-sharing, and texting in 9-1-1 services. The focus of my thesis work is to understand how user interfaces, desktop and mobile can be designed, so that it helps 9-1-1 call-centres to transition into a future that allows multimedia handling and remote collaboration. My thesis also focuses on designing mobile user interfaces that will allow 9-1-1 callers to use their smartphones and leverage multimedia during a 9-1-1 call.