Move Over Avatar – 3D Tech Now Helps First Responders with 911 Calls

Emergency responders are finding on-the-job uses for the technology. For example in Durham, North Carolina, officials have started using 3-D technology to observe the locations of residents in trouble, according to a report in Government Technology and summarized by the Department of Homeland Security bulletin. In April, the Durham Emergency Communications Center (DECC), launched advanced tools that show the exact origins of 911 calls in a 3-D, aerial image. Communications officers can view any property, building, highway or other structure in Durham County from 12 different angles, and obtain measurements and elevation from the imagery. This technology is critical when it comes to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping, and transportation and community planning. Developed by a Rochester, New York-based company called Pictometry International Corp., the software is used in about 800 counties and six states, according to the company’s chief marketing officer. Unlike the satellite images and aerial shots that point straight down, Pictometry captures images from a 40-degree angle.