A hot mic and hot video function is the capability to record and transmit voice or video after someone has triggered an Emergency Alert.
After a user presses a panic button to trigger an Emergency Alert it is important for the responder to quickly assess the situation. Location data is one important component but to really get a full picture of the situation, voice and video are paramount. A worker under stress might not be able to pick up a call or engage in PTT communication. It also helps to identify false alarms quickly and can be critical to have as evidence in a lawsuit.
This functionality has proven crucial to various roles in many industries:
Public Safety: An emergency responder got into an altercation with a bystander and pressed the panic button. An Emergency Alert was triggered and the hot mic / video function was enabled. The following voice and video recording clearly proved the bystander was the aggressor and was impeding the work of the first responder. This evidence was later used in court to convict the attacker and free the responder from unjustified counterclaims by the attacker.
Field workers: A utility worker fell several meters and broke his hip. Being in agonizing pain, the worker was unable to reach his phone but the Fall Detection had detected the fall and automatically triggered an Emergency Alert. The dispatch center could hear the man screaming in pain through the voice recording and immediately informed an ambulance to respond and provide quick aid to the injured worker.
Hospitality: There are countless cases like New York vs. Strauss-Kahn where innocent hotel workers are physically or sexually assaulted in the workplace by guests and other workers. All too often, these “simple misunderstandings” get swept under the rug in order to avoid embarrassment or tarnish the hotel’s reputation. In the case of New York vs. Strauss-Kahn, the allegedly attacked housekeeper was never able to prove the attack. If she had been in possession of a panic button with a phone, the video/voice recording could have provided basic proof to the just party and would have simplified the entire case for the Sofitel Hotel branch to protect their reputation and their workers.
