Tech Partners
RapidSOS is the world's first emergency response data platform. Tech partner integrations send incident-specific information (such as device location, user profiles, and more) to the platform.
About Tech Partner Integrations
Tech Partner integrations can use our APIs to send emergency related information to the RapidSOS emergency response data platform.
Partner Benefits
RapidSOS has product solutions that build on each other, so depending on what your product or need is, we’ve got you covered. Most importantly, all products are integrated into our emergency response data platform.
Become a Tech Partner
We’re ready to help you improve emergency outcomes, and transform emergency response. Are you ready to protect communities with data-driven emergency response?
Tech partner integrators can get started by contacting RapidSOS using our web form. Complete the form and send it back to us.
Once received, RapidSOS will promptly review your information and contact you with further details and next steps.
Available APIs
RapidSOS Emergency Workflow API - The RapidSOS Emergency WorkFlow API packages our deep expertise on the technical and policy challenges associated with the antiquated, complex 911 system into a single API call, enabling you to focus on quickly implementing a safe and effective emergency solution for your users. Using our tools, RapidSOS developers can build customizable work flows to connect users, emergency contacts, emergency services, and related third parties.
Work flows are designed to be modular, and can constitute a basic, direct connection initiated between the caller and 911, or a complex logical flow chart including multiple callers and 911 centers with tunable timing, SMS messaging, text-to-speech, and interactive voice response (IVR) components. These flows can be initiated through a simple API trigger from any connected device (or connected device host), enabling a wide variety of use cases.
The Emergency WorkFlow API is compliant with 911 regulatory standards, including two key requirements: 1) Calls to 911 must be initiated by a human, and 2) There must be a two-way voice connection open between the caller and the 911 call operator.
Additional information about the RapidSOS Emergency Workflow and API integration can be found in the following section.
Alert Management API - The RapidSOS Alert Management API for Tech Partners provides a RESTful interface to create a request emergency dispatch for an ongoing incident.
The Alert Management API for Tech Partners is designed to enable applications in physical security, PERS (Personal Emergency Response Services), and other verticals where a 911 call is not required or can be avoided.
Additionally, existing applications within the physical security ecosystem, particularly where a Central Monitoring Station is currently deployed can utilize this API.
Resource Manager API - The RapidSOS Resource Manager API allows data providers the ability to upload multimedia files to the RapidSOS emergency response data platform and generate a public URL. These uploaded files are used with the RapidSOS Emergency Data APIs for data provisioning.
Map Layer Management API - The RapidSOS Map Layer Management API allows external users the capability to manage their Spatial Layer objects in RapidSOS. The API is a programmatic interface with no GUI. All endpoints are authenticated via OAuth 2.0. This API provides basic CRUD capabilities for Spatial Layers + Spatial Objects that are 'owned' by the organization accessing them.
Dynamic Layers API - The RapidSOS Dynamic Layers API is a RESTful API for ingesting dynamic spatial data into the RapidSOS Platform. Dynamic spatial layer data consists of a series of locations for an object, for instance a body camera, representing the object’s movement within a given map layer.
RapidSOS Emergency WorkFlow API Integration Details
The Emergency WorkFlow Manager provides documentation about the elements available for building workflows, sample workflows to help you get started, an interactive way to trigger workflows for testing, and the ability to view the underlying API code in a variety of common languages.
RapidSOS Standard Solution Flows
RapidSOS provides a standard API solution that quickly and efficiently enables your your company to send the 911 community pertinent data during the case of an emergency. The standard API solution facilitates the RapidSOS product offerings as provided in the following solutions:
Solution 1
This solution allows us to deliver pertinent data to 911 supplementing a traditional 911 call through the users phone.
For example, when a user is using your app, they have an emergency and hit the panic button. This panic button (created within your app) is configured to not only call 911 through the native dialer, but also send an API call to the RapidSOS emergency response data platform for processing and associating the data to the phone number of the caller.
Solution 2
This solution allows us to control the telephony and allow the user to determine if emergency services are required. The user is presented with an automated voice presenting them with the emergency situation and providing them the option to be routed to the closest 911 Center to the emergency device that has been activated.
*Note* This could be your loved one activating a silent activation on their safety app in New York City and you are currently in Miami, our system would route you to the New York City Jurisdiction and not the Miami Jurisdiction). This is very important as 911 call transfers are not always efficient and could delay a response to your loved one’s emergency!
In addition to controlling the telephony portion of the event, our system would also send the pertinent data supplementing the 911 call that we have setup for you.
For example, when a silent alarm on your safety app is activated, an API trigger is sent to the RapidSOS emergency response data platform. This silent alarm panic button (created within your app) is configured to only send an API call to RapidSOS emergency response data platform for processing. From there, RapidSOS calls emergency contacts to notify them of the situation. They can choose to be routed to the 911 center to assist in the emergency.
Solution 3
This solution is similar to solution 2 however provides a professional monitoring center as a backup in the case that the emergency contacts do not answer. As with solution 2, this allows us to control the telephony and allow the user to determine if emergency services are required. The user is presented with an automated voice presenting them with the emergency situation and providing them the option to be routed to the closest 911 center to the emergency device that has been activated.
*Note* This could be your loved one activating a silent activation on their safety app in New York City and you are currently in Miami, our system would route you to the New York City Jurisdiction and not the Miami Jurisdiction). This is very important as 911 call transfers are not always efficient and could delay a response to your loved one’s emergency!
In addition to controlling the telephony portion of the event, our system would also send the pertinent data supplementing the 911 call that we have setup for you.
For example, when a silent alarm on your safety app is activated, an API trigger is sent to the RapidSOS emergency response data platform. This silent alarm panic button (created within your app) is configured to only send an API call to RapidSOS emergency response data platform for processing. From there, RapidSOS calls emergency contacts to notify them of the situation. They can choose to be routed to the 911 center to assist in the emergency. If the emergency contacts are not able to be reached, the system will automatically call the professional monitoring center and they will process your emergency for you.
Solution 4
This solution allows RapidSOS to query and pull data from external sources when an applicable 911 call is made. It allows us to take information from partner data fields and intelligently map it to the RapidSOS emergency response data platform. Any organization with profile data on prospective 911 callers is a strong candidate for this Data Connect solution. RapidSOS can accommodate partners of any data size and/or querying constraints.
Generic Process Flow Description:
- RapidSOS receives the data request from 911
- The data is pulled from the partner by the RapidSOS service sending an HTTP request, and receiving a response.
- The data that is received from the partner is sent to 911
What to Expect During API Development
RapidSOS will assign a Solutions Engineer to work with you to discuss optimal workflows that could be most efficient for your company, it’s users, as well as fulfill the needs of the public safety communicators and first responders.
RapidSOS may provide you with a single or multiple workflow solution(s) to help fulfill the needs of your company.
Once the workflow is agreed upon by all parties, RapidSOS will work with you to determine the data elements that will be provided to the RapidSOS API. Once the data fields are agreed upon, we will create the flow in our workflow API for your company and provide you a code snippet with what the API call will look like. This snippet will contain all information that you will need to trigger the workflow in the RapidSOS emergency response data platform.
Once the API trigger and workflow have been created by RapidSOS and provided to the client, it is now up to the company to develop their application to communicate with the RapidSOS API. RapidSOS will continue to provide assistance through the development process.
Once a contract has been agreed upon between the companies, RapidSOS will work with you to obtain a go-live date and the project will be handed off to the Technical Project Management Team. At this point, formal testing of the applications occurs as well as obtaining production API Keys and Secrets for live deployment.
App Launcher Integration Capability
If you have an existing web application, it can be made accessible through the RapidSOS Portal by using our App Launcher integration.
This capability provides access to the RapidSOS Portal network, allowing your users to have a streamlined workflow.
The App Launcher has the following three core capabilities:
- The ability to launch a Partner Web App in a new browser tab via a button click in RapidSOS Portal
- The optional ability for a Partner Web App to eliminate additional user logins via the RapidSOS Identity Management API
- The optional ability for a Partner Web App to receive data via the RapidSOS Deeplink API
Learn more about the App Launcher, details required for development and testing, as well as additional useful information to consider here.
Data Share Integration Capability
RapidSOS Data Share enables a RapidSOS Partner the ability to receive 911 emergency call data (e.g. phone number, call location, etc...) when shared directly by a 911 telecommunicator using RapidSOS Portal.
Learn more about Data Share integration, details required for development and implementation here. The link provides information on Data Share, details required for development and testing, as well as additional useful information to consider.