(ABC 6 News) – The Minnesota Department of Public Safety is equipping local county dispatch centers with RapidDeploy Radius technology.

This technology allows first responders to pinpoint the exact location of a 911 caller.

DPS officials say this technology improves the ability of first responders to get to an emergency situation quickly.

Dispatchers text a link to the caller and when they click it, it will send their location to first responders within seconds.

Every second matters when responding to an emergency, and knowing the caller’s exact location makes it easier to get to them. In some cases, it could mean the difference between life and death.

The RapidDeploy Radius technology improves upon the old system, which only allowed access to a caller’s location within the range of a few miles.

It also has a built-in translation feature to allow easier communication when there’s a language barrier between the caller and dispatch.

“It’s a life saving tool. It can be the difference between us locating somebody and not locating somebody,” said Jill Bondus, DPS 911 Operational Coordinator. “In a situation where somebody’s having a medical emergency or they’re in a fire situation, seconds matter.”

The state of Minnesota provides the technology at no cost to the individual county.

About 75% of counties in Minnesota are already using it, including Olmsted, Fillmore and Goodhue counties.

DPS is hearing success stories from those already using RapidDeploy Radius technology, and they are working with the remaining counties who still want to get it.