The University of Chicago Health Lab has launched an initiative to transform the nation’s 911 emergency system, fueled by more than $1.1 million in funding from Arnold Ventures, a Houston-based philanthropy dedicated to tackling some of the most pressing problems in the United States, and $100,000 from Microsoft’s Justice Reform Initiative.
TRANSFORM911 will gather stakeholders from many sectors to explore ways to promote equitable crisis response and access to emergency services, enhance public health, improve public safety, and support first responders’ ability to do their job effectively. In appreciation of the critical role that public safety telecommunicators play as gatekeepers to our nation’s emergency crisis response system, the project is being announced during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and amid increased public awareness about racial inequality in law enforcement across the United States.
