Bi-directional communications

Bi-directional communications (BDC) lets dispatchers and command staff talk to Body 4-equipped officers from either the Respond desktop or mobile app. Being able to see, hear, and now communicate with officers brings support teams even closer to the scene—from the safety of their individual locations—to provide even greater support to officers.

During a livestream, authorized dispatchers and command staff can start a conversation with a Body 4-equipped officer from within the Respond desktop or mobile app by pressing the Start call button. The conversation will continue for the duration of the livestream and is hands-free for the officer. Up to 25 Respond viewers can participate in a single conversation. All conversations are recorded and uploaded to Axon Evidence as part of the evidentiary video, just like any other Axon body camera recording.

For instructions on how to use BDC on Body 4, jump to Use BDC on the body camera.

System requirements

  • Body 4 camera
  • Respond+ licensing
  • Meet the Axon Web System requirements for desktop users and mobile app for mobile users
  • To use bi-directional communications on desktop, users must have an audio input and output device, such as microphone and speaker or headset

Configuration requirements

  • Livestreaming must be enabled for Body 4 cameras. In Axon Evidence, see the Admin > Body 4 > profile > Axon Respond section.
  • Dispatchers and command staff must have Axon Evidence credentials and belong to a role with View BWC Livestreams and Allow Voice Communication permissions enabled in Axon Evidence at Admin > Roles & Permissions.

Use BDC on Respond desktop or mobile

This process will be different if you have already migrated from Respond to Fusus. Instructions for Fusus will be available soon.

  1. Sign in.
    Shows the Respond sign-in window.
  2. Select the Respond tab...
    Shows the Axon Evidence Respond window.
  3. ...to view the Respond map and start a Livestream from a Body 4-equipped officer. The camera must be recording to be livestreamed. Grant microphone access if needed.
    Shows the Livestream button to start a stream.
  4. Select Start Live Streaming on a user’s tile.
    Shows the Stream Video button.
  5. Select Start Call to start bi-directional communication.
    Shows the Start Call link.
  6. Wait to be connected to the Body 4 camera.
    Shows the Connecting prompt.
  7. Your microphone is muted upon successfully connecting. Press and hold the push-to-talk (PTT) button with your mouse or by holding the space bar on your keyboard. Wait to hear the “go-ahead” tone, which indicates you can start talking.
    Shows the Press and Hold to Talk prompt.
  8. You may now speak to the Body 4 camera user. Release the mouse (or space bar) when you are done.
    Shows the Release prompt.

Multiple viewers

Just like livestreaming, bi-directional communications supports up to 25 simultaneous Respond viewers per Body 4 camera. If a conversation is ongoing between a Respond viewer and camera user, any Respond viewer who opens the livestream to that camera will automatically be added to the conversation. Similarly, if multiple Respond viewers are watching a livestream and one viewer starts a call, all other viewers are automatically added to that conversation.
Shows the Multiple Outgoing prompt.
Shows the Multiple Call Started prompt.

Once the Respond viewer is added, the card will update to show the total number of viewers in the conversation.

Multiple livestream windows

If multiple camera livestream windows are open, you may start or join a conversation for the livestream in the foreground. Shifting from one camera window to another will drop you from the first conversation. Audio will start playing from the window in the foreground.
Shows the Focus Shifted prompt and Reconnect link.

Camera modes

The Body 4 camera may enter modes or conditions that make it unavailable for bi-directional communications. When this happens, Axon Respond will update to prevent you from talking. Here are two camera modes that do not allow bi-directional communications and how they are display in Axon Respond:

Stealth mode

When the Body 4 camera enters stealth mode, its speaker becomes muted and, therefore, the Respond user is not allowed to talk.
Shows the Stealth Mode prompt stating calling is unavailable.
Shows the Cannot Talk prompt because camera is in Stealth Mode.

Speaker muted

When the Body 4 camera’s speaker volume is muted, the Respond user is not allowed to talk.
Shows the prompt that calling is unavailable because the camera speaker is muted.
Shows the prompt that talking is unavailable because the camera speaker is muted.

Microphone muted

When the camera's microphone is muted, you will not hear any audio. If this happens, any Respond viewers in the conversation may continue to talk to each other and the camera user will still hear them, but they will not hear the camera user.
Shows the prompt that the camera mic is muted.

Use BDC on the body camera

While your Body 4 camera is livestreaming, a LIVE icon appears on the display:
Shows the LIVE icon on the Body 4 display.

If a Respond user starts a conversation with you, the camera will vibrate, play a tone, and the display will briefly show COMMS OPEN to inform you that someone has started a conversation and audio can start playing from the camera's speaker.
Shows COMMS OPEN on the Body 4 display.

Once connected, the display will update to show the total number of Respond users in the conversation:
Shows the number of users on comms on the Body 4 display.

The conversation ends when you end the recording or when all users have closed the livestream. The camera will vibrate, play a tone, and the display will briefly show COMMS CLOSED.
Shows SAVING on the Body 4 display. Shows COMMS CLOSED on the Body 4 display.

Respond viewer joins or leaves

When a Respond user joins or leaves the conversation, the camera will vibrate, play a tone, and the display will indicate the total number of participants. If no Respond viewers remain, the conversation ends.

Microphone control

When you mute the camera's microphone while recording, it also prevents Respond users from hearing camera audio.
Shows the muted microphone icon on the Body 4 display.