911 Should Have FaceTime

From r/SomebodyMakeThis · originally by u/RaphAdams_ · March 7, 2026

Seems more than logical to add FaceTime features to Emergency Service Calls. Obviously the caller wouldn’t be able to see the operator but the they’d be able to show their situation and it would cut down on a number of different issues in my opinion. Police body cam footage, unfiltered online videos and CCTV cameras already show violent, wild and disturbing videos so giving the argument that someone (especially law enforcement) doesn’t want or need to see it is just silly. If you’re an operator for 911 and can’t do your job correctly without getting worried or shaken-up then that seems like a pretty clear sign that you should probably seek other employment because first responders jobs aren’t easy and any assistance before getting to a scene is usually more than appreciated.

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Discussion(3)

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u/StrikeBetter8520on 3/7/2026

All of Europe already have this . At least the bigger countries. We get a simple link to open and then the operator can see what you are seeing , same for Doctors . They can assess for example kids for illness directly via FaceTime / video .

u/Plenty_Injury6381on 3/8/2026

This is available in the US but only in select regions that support this. Unless there's a federal or state mandate adoption will be slow.

u/30_characterson 3/9/2026

My region accepts SMS (text messages) through next-gen 911 (NG-911), using the SIP standard, but Facetime is a proprietary application that requires the purchase of hardware from Apple, and doesn't natively support the recording functions that 911 **MUST** have especially when someone is reporting a crime, or confessing to one. It also not location-based in the same way that SMS and voice networks are (Enhanced or e911), without the addition of additional back-end programming by Apple. Wanting tens of thousands of 911 call centers to support Facetime is like wanting them to spend money to support AOL instant messenger, WhatsApp, and Skype, with the similar costs, and will end up the same way. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next\_Generation\_911](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_Generation_911)