Overview#
During a live emergency call, an authorised operator can send the caller a secure, expiring link by text message so the caller streams video from their phone, with the footage landing directly in the evidence workspace.
A caller describing a structure fire, a road traffic collision, or a chemical spill can rarely convey severity in words alone. Seeing the scene through the caller's own camera lets the handling operator gauge what is actually happening before units arrive, and lets specialist resources be committed with confidence rather than guesswork.
Secure Caller Video Requests puts that capability one click away on the active call packet. For any SMS-capable caller number, an operator with the appropriate video role can trigger a request; the platform resolves the active caller on the live call, sends a cryptographically signed, time-bound link, and shows live delivery status from sending through sent to waiting for video. The AI voice agent can also trigger a video request as part of its call handling. Received caller media opens directly in the evidence workspace, so the footage is available to the investigation from the moment it arrives. The module serves call-takers, dispatchers, and supervisors in emergency communication centres.
Key Features#
- One-Click Request from the Live Call: A single Request Video control appears on the active call packet whenever the caller's number is SMS-capable, so operators never leave the call to start a video session.
- Signed, Expiring Links: Every video share link is cryptographically signed and expires automatically, making links short-lived and single-purpose rather than reusable artefacts.
- Verified Recipient Binding: The platform resolves the active caller for the live call before sending, so a link can only go to the actual party on the line.
- Role-Gated Authorisation: Only operators holding the designated video role may request caller video, keeping a sensitive capability restricted to authorised staff.
- Rate Limiting with Clear Messaging: Recent-request rate limiting prevents links from being spammed or misused, and operators see clear messaging when a limit applies.
- Live Delivery Status: The console shows sending, sent, and waiting-for-video states in real time, so the operator always knows where the request stands.
- Failure Guidance and Retry: Delivery failures are surfaced immediately with retry options and alternate-contact guidance rather than failing silently.
- AI-Initiated Requests: The AI voice agent can trigger a video request during its own call handling, extending visual context to AI-assisted calls.
Use Cases#
- Fire Dispatcher: A caller reporting a structure fire streams video of the building, letting the dispatcher gauge severity and adjust the response before the first units arrive.
- Emergency Medical Call-Taker: A medical call benefits from visual triage while the ambulance is en route, giving crews a clearer picture of the patient's condition on arrival.
- Traffic Incident Operator: An operator sees the scene of a collision through the caller's phone camera while units are en route, refining the resources dispatched.
- Hazard Assessment Supervisor: A supervisor verifies a hazard report visually before committing specialist resources, avoiding unnecessary call-outs on uncertain reports.
Integration#
Secure Caller Video Requests is embedded in the emergency call-taking console: the request control lives on the active call packet, and delivery status is part of the operator's live call view. It works alongside the AI dispatcher partner, whose voice agent can raise requests on AI-handled calls, and it hands received footage to digital evidence management, where the media opens directly in the evidence workspace for review. Role-gated authorisation draws on the platform's access control model, so administrators govern who may request caller video.
Open Standards#
- E.164: Caller numbers are handled in the international telephone numbering format, which underpins the check that a number is SMS-capable before the request control is offered.
- 3GPP SMS (TS 23.040): Video request links are delivered over standard mobile text messaging, so the capability works with any SMS-capable handset without a pre-installed app.
- TLS 1.3: Link resolution and the caller's video stream travel over encrypted transport between the caller's phone and the platform.
- ISO 8601: Request, delivery-status, and link-expiry timestamps use standard date-time formatting for consistent auditing and interoperability.
Last Reviewed: 2026-07-16 Last Updated: 2026-07-16