SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Derrik Gregg got a 911 call last September that changed his life — and saved the life of a Valley woman, too.
On Sep. 1, 2023, Gregg received a 911 call, but the caller hung up immediately. Gregg called her back and tried to keep the woman on the phone, but she insisted she would call him back and then hung up.
“She said ‘Hey, I’ll give you a call back, I promise,’” Gregg said. “…and that for me, obviously, was a red flag.”
Gregg is the Scottsdale police dispatch communications supervisor for the Scottsdale Police Department. By using the RapidDeploy mapping software to locate callers with pinpoint accuracy, he was able to locate where the call was placed.
“So, using the radius mapping, there’s breadcrumbs that show the location of the phone and where it’s moving,” Gregg said. “We got one breadcrumb, just based off the duration of the phone call, since it was very short, and it showed it was going northbound on Hayden Road.”
He said the distance between the original location of the phone and the update was significant, signaling to Gregg that the woman was in a car.
The caller had the emergency information filled out on her smartphone, so he was able to request the information from the phone carrier to help identify who she was.
“I used her name and date of birth to run her in our criminal justice system to find out where she might be going,” Gregg said.
Meanwhile, the dispatcher was getting out the call, sending officers to the area, where they were able to track down the vehicle.
It wasn't until later that they learned what led up to the initial 911 call. The woman's ex-boyfriend ran her over with a car, Gregg said. She was scraped up, with bruises and blood under her fingernails.
“It was obviously a domestic situation at that point," Gregg said.
Gregg's quick thinking and use of technology was what allowed police to step in, ultimately saving the woman.
“We ended up saving her life that night,” Gregg said.
His actions were recognized with a national Critical Response Award, delivered in person by CEO and co-founder of RapidDeploy, Steven Raucher.
“He had an incredible save,” Raucher said. “Derrik is a master user on this platform.”
The RapidDeploy software is a huge time saver, but it’s also more precise than ever before.
Before, it would take 30 seconds to a minute before they could update a location, but now Gregg said they’re getting that information within three to five seconds.
“… And I can start sending you help immediately while I’m trying to get in touch with you,” Gregg said. “Seconds save lives.”
And this story is a testament to that.
“I appreciate the acknowledgment, because often we’re the unseen heroes, we’re just heard,” Gregg said.
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