MORROW, Ga. — Alecia Chavous has worked as a dispatcher for the Clayton County Police Department for three years. She was inspired by her father and uncle, who both went into law enforcement. Now she's being recognized for her life-saving efforts which all stemmed from a watch.
"I've always been told I have a heart for service," Chavous said. "I enjoy helping people whether it's over the phone, face-to-face, it really doesn't matter."
Body camera footage from Morrow Police shows that help recently came on a chilly night in January from the smallest of devices. Chavous discovered a man had fallen in Morrow. He couldn't verbally communicate with her, but he was wearing an Apple Watch, which alerted Chavous and gave her the coordinates to reach out to first responders for help.
Officers on the scene believed the man, who wasn't clothed, could have frozen to death had help not arrived. However, through calm composure, quick thinking and a sense of urgency, Chavous communicated a general location to get first responders in motion.
"It can go from him being OK to him going into cardiac arrest within five seconds," Chavous said. "So being able to start the police and fire department, especially not knowing exactly where he is, we have more people on scene to find him."
Authorities said the man was found and got the help he needed. He asked the police to not reveal his identity.
Tech expert Sabrina Merritt, CEO of October Social Media, said these technological advances gather data about behavior and health, which can increase the quality of life. She said devices can study bodily habits and trigger a response when something questionable occurs.
"This is a prime example of what the good technological advances in our society are able to contribute," Merritt said. "We're actively saving lives."
Merritt said tech companies are increasingly in the spotlight for handling a large load of data. Those who depend on innovative technology could give up their privacy and put other aspects of their lives at risk, a tradeoff Merritt said is innate to advancements in technology.
"There is this understanding that you are trading off for convenience, to a certain level, your level of privacy," Merritt said. "Technology can definitely improve the quality of life, but not without making some concessions. There is going to be a tradeoff.”
Along with privacy concerns, Merritt mentioned a lack of cultural nuance and biases that can pop up in technology, like some companies tending to reduce consumers and users to data points and statistics. She said more safeguards and transparency need to be in place to heighten data protection needs as technology's role grows in everyday life.
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Chavous believes it was technology in this instance that meant the difference between life and death for the person she was trying to help.