QUICK SUMMARY
South King County residents can monitor local emergencies in real-time through a new feature called AidLink on The B-Town Blog. The live feed displays emergency dispatch calls, allowing users to understand local activity and stay informed when they hear sirens. This feature enhances community awareness and was developed by a former EMT as a coding project.
South King County residents can now access live emergency dispatch information through AidLink, a new feature on The B-Town Blog. This 24/7 feed allows users to view and track local emergency activities, providing insights into everything from medical calls to fire responses. Founder Scott Schaefer emphasized the importance of connecting the community with timely information, stating that AidLink is a feature not yet available on other local news websites. The service uses specific codes to categorize calls, helping residents quickly understand the nature of incidents. For example, “AID” indicates standard medical aid, while “AFA” refers to automatic fire alarms. Originally created by EMT Vince Coppola in 2013, the feature started as a coding project to aid dispatchers and has since grown in scope. Coppola noted that AidLink now serves everyone from ER nurses to local residents who want to stay informed. AidLink is currently accessible for free on the blog’s homepage, just below the weather widget.