Sweden uses live video streams to save lives

Emergency services in Sweden are turning to telemedicine to save lives. In a move to save money and lives, fire and rescue services are using mobile phone technology to broadcast live video streams in real time from the scenes of major accidents.

Fire and rescue services in 20 Swedish cities are now using technology developed by Swedish company, Bambuser, which allows emergency crews to send live video – together with a location map from Yahoo Maps – from their mobile phones direct to a central command post. Teams based at a emergency command centre can instantly assess response requests and potential injuries in real time as well as view how the vehicles have crashed. 

Normally used for social networking, Bambuser is a free, simple-to-use live video service that allows users to broadcast live video directly on their own blogs or favourite social networks. It works with over 260 smart-phones or web / DV-cams and boasts an average delay time of only 1.5 seconds.

It’s a development that’s rapidly won the support of senior managers in the country’s emergency services.

"The inner command gets much better information than before in order to make the correct decision about what resources are needed at the accident site,” said Hakan Alexandersson, deputy commander of Gothenburg fire and rescue services. “In practice this can certainly save lives."

The technology also provides crucial information to Road Agencies and the Police. Video streams can be later analysed for risks and causes of accidents, helping to prevent further incidents in the future. 

Gothenburg’s highly respected Viktoria Institute was also heavily involved in stress testing the technology. It found that using live video “has great value in emergency response work. Command centre operators can get a better understanding of the accident site and the ongoing response work.”

Now rebranded ‘LiveResponse’ for use by emergency services, the technology is being trialed by fire and rescue services in Europe and the US. An ongoing research project is also evaluating the benefits of broadcasting video from an ambulance helicopter as it approaches and takes off from an emergency site. 

Although, the move to use live video streams at the scene of an accident may seem controversial, Bambuser Executive Chariman Hans Eriksson believes the advantages are crucial to saving more lives. 

“Normally the last thing you want to see at a crash site is people filming with their mobile phones,” said Hans Eriksson. 

“But the ability to instantly send live video from the scene is proving to be a crucial. The quicker the information can be accessed, the quicker those life and death decisions can be made as to what resources need to be committed.”