Now, at the New Orleans EMS Operations Center (EOC), the events of Mardi Gras unfold in real time on a wall of screens, displaying live footage and maps that provide command staff with unprecedented situational awareness. Behind this setup sits the hub of the operation, Axon Respond, delivering real-time information directly from crew members' Axon Body 4 cameras throughout the city back to the EOC via a single interface. With this evolution, the EOC has brought “The Board” to life and can monitor ongoing situations, coordinate resources effectively and make informed decisions with seamless real-time operations to enhance public safety and operational efficiency during one of the biggest parties on Earth.

Living up to their motto

“The New Orleans EMS motto is to give everyone the best chance at life,” shares Emily Riley, New Orleans EMS mental health coordinator, as she sits beside her rig along the streets of New Orleans. The inflection in her voice is clear — she means everyone. Yet, each spring the population of New Orleans quadruples in a matter of days, while the EMS crew remains the same size. Emergency medical responders across the United States are experiencing unprecedented staffing shortages and New Orleans EMS is no exception. This year, New Orleans EMS saw a 40% year-over-year increase in calls during Mardi Gras, but with 35% less staff to respond to the volume.

New Orleans EMS had to figure out how to essentially multiply their resources and make every second count, as every year the traditions of Mardi Gras bring new challenges to their motto. The solution: real-time technology.

“Every crew member that is along the route will have a camera, and then we’re able to tap into the cameras,” says Major Figueroa of the New Orleans EMS.

Today, the EOC serves as that force multiplier, providing additional eyes on the scene throughout the city in one central location. Access to live streaming and maps through Axon Respond allows those at the command center to tap into any camera, see what’s unfolding in real time and provide additional resources through two-way communications to advise in critical moments. This can deliver tremendous value, whether it be the need for additional medical guidance, using additional aid from other public safety responders, translation capabilities or managing situations involving multiple patients with diverse medical needs.

In 2023, the EOC responded to a shooting just blocks away from the center of the events. Through the use of Axon Respond, emergency medical responders were able to get multiple eyes and insights on the scene, quickly understand patient status and identify a swift resolution through enhanced situational awareness.

Also last year, a New Orleans EMS unit responded to a cardiac arrest. The EOC used the Axon Respond map to locate the unit's exact location in a matter of minutes, view their livestream and send backup resources quicker than ever before.

In these instances, saving seconds meant saving lives.

So far in 2024, EMS has responded to 3,000 emergency calls and achieved a performance rating of 90%, higher than the national average. Through greater connectivity, New Orleans EMS can now answer more calls, respond quicker and do so with fewer resources deployed throughout the city. Technology now serves as the great enabler in the background, putting the focus back on giving every individual the best chance at life.

Better protected when everything's connected

As the first EMS agency in Louisiana and one of the earliest adopters in the country to deploy body-worn cameras, New Orleans EMS had to create first-of-its-kind policy around camera usage, including access guidelines, record-keeping and more.

“The hardest part for us was to gain the trust of the employees,” admits Figueroa.

In order to build this trust, a key piece of policy was safeguards around when and how supervisors can access body-worn camera videos.

“We don’t access the videos just randomly,” he continues. “We’re not watching videos unless there’s a specific reason.”

If a supervisor wants to review a body-worn camera video, the request must be signed off by a deputy chief, who then submits an official request for review. This policy has bolstered users’ trust and belief that the technology is for their benefit as much as for the public. The cameras are meant to capture critical moments in the field, not to “catch” public safety personnel for small errors, like forgetting to stock equipment in their trucks at the end of a shift.

The use of this technology has also extended beyond emergency response, including additional resources to support training, understanding the value of new programs and even providing navigation assistance in real time.

When New Orleans EMS began providing blood transfusions in the field as part of their emergency response, use of their Axon body cameras supported the rollout. “We started giving the cameras to blood medics, [because] we wanted to see how the blood program was working and evolving...having the camera to document the progress of that program was important,” notes Figueroa.

Thanks to their vehicle fleet management system, the EOC has the capability to guide ambulances and provide turn-by-turn navigation assistance over the phone. “Navigating on a normal day could be difficult, during Mardi Gras it’s extremely difficult. Parades, especially on a day like today, will divide the city in half, and it’s extremely difficult to travel from one side to the other one. Some hospitals become trapped within the parade route, so to get to them is very difficult. So they have to use routes that normally are not accessible, like going behind the flood wall on the port...they’re not used to it, they don’t know how to do it. So, from here, we can go and explain to them...we are their eyes,” Figueroa explains.

The EOC is also able to check ambulance fuel levels online, avoiding adding to radio traffic, another efficiency of their modern systems.

A safer city

Modern technology has made an impact on New Orleans outside of the Mardi Gras season. New Orleans EMS is able to use Axon body camera footage from previous calls to train new employees on best practices in the field, improving preparation for future calls for service.

When somebody sees what they’re doing, versus you just telling them what they’re doing...it changes things, says Brooke Christy, who became Captain of New Orleans EMS in 2022.

The value of more transparency goes beyond just having eyes on a scene; it’s also proving to be a valuable motivational tool capturing heroic moments. Body camera footage allows the agency to identify successful responses and commend the responders who helped save a life. This helps show the community the key role EMS is playing in keeping their city safe, while identifying best practices in the field to emulate in the future.

Additionally, the cameras have been integral in quickly solving complaints from the public, as leadership can now watch the incident in question to verify the validity of claims and take any appropriate actions with greater clarity.

When all of these use cases are brought together, the New Orleans EMS motto of “giving everyone the best chance at life” is elevated to a new level for the million-plus visitors each January and February for Mardi Gras season.

As another Mardi Gras attendee puts it, “You feel really safe...you see police and guards everywhere. And people have, like, these good vibes you know? You don’t feel unsafe in any moment.”

Ensuring the safety of Mardi Gras visitors and staff is mission critical for New Orleans EMS. Each year, people from around the world bring the vibrant traditions of Mardi Gras to life on Bourbon Street and beyond. Behind the scenes, New Orleans EMS stands ready, supported by cutting-edge technology, to keep the magic alive and the city safe with every bead thrown and every float that passes.

And, as New Orleans EMS turns to the future of protecting their city, they keep their own history close by. “The Board“ now hangs as a memento of Mardi Gras past in the Emergency Operations Center.