Skip to main content

Google teams up with 911 to locate emergency callers more easily

In an emergency, every second counts. So the last thing a 911 dispatcher wants to waste time over is establishing the precise location of the caller, because in those vital, wasted seconds, lives can be lost.

In a bid to address the issue, Google has been testing its technology in conjunction with a number of 911 centers to develop a system that helps to automatically identify the precise location of someone calling from a cellphone, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Throughout December and January, Google hooked up with 911 centers in Texas, Tennessee, and Florida, allowing the dispatchers to use the tech giant’s data to pinpoint the location of individuals calling on mobile phones.

As the Journal points out, such data is usually provided by the wireless carriers, but it can be inaccurate, leading to slower response times. According to federal regulators, getting first responders to an emergency scene just 60 seconds earlier could save an estimated 10,000 lives a year.

According to data collected during the two-month trial, in 80 percent of cases the location information provided in the first 30 seconds by Google was more accurate than that provided by the carrier in the same time frame.

Google’s data pinpointed a caller’s location within an average radius of 36.8 meters (121 feet). That compares to an average of 159 meters (522 feet) for the carriers. Significantly, Google’s data also came through to the dispatcher more quickly than the carrier data.

Automatic and accurate detection of a 911 caller’s location becomes all the more important if their English-language skills are lacking. Also, if the emergency involves a particularly traumatic event, the caller may not be in a fit state to clearly explain everything to the dispatcher, or they could even communicate erroneous information in the heat of the moment.

The system, which Google has already launched in a number of other countries, uses Wi-Fi, GPS, and cell tower data to determine the caller’s location. Current systems use cell tower location and assisted GPS only, leading to less focused location information.

With Google’s technology appearing to perform well in the recent tests, further discussions are planned with a view to incorporating it into the system of more 911 centers.

Google improved the situation to some extent in 2017 by adding a location card to the display of its Phone app when a user makes an emergency call. The information includes a map, GPS coordinates, and the location address, though these need to be read off by the caller when the dispatcher asks.

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Google Pixel 7 duo pops up on video, gives a close look at the size difference
Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro

Google has already given us an official glimpse at the Pixel 7 series phones via teasers shared at the I/O conference earlier this year. Now, we might have our first real look at the Pixel 7 and its Pro version, and how they stand apart in terms of design and internal hardware.

YouTube channel Unbox Therapy has shared a video that purportedly details prototype units of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro in their black trims. The camera island is more prominent this time around and flaunts a metallic finish, which is a stark departure from the subdued black glass strip on the Pixel 6 duo. The corners also appear to be more rounded, and similar is the case with the rear glass panel.

Read more
It’s not just you — Google’s also fed up with Apple not using RCS
A person texting on a smartphone.

Google is stepping up its campaign to drive support for the universal Rich Communication Services (RCS) text messaging standard by increasing the pressure on the biggest holdout: Apple.

A new full-page spread on Google’s Android website is encouraging fans of open text messaging standards to “Help @Apple #GetTheMessage” and expand beyond its proprietary and exclusive iMessage platform to allow for more full-featured text messaging between iPhone and Android users.

Read more
Google’s latest anti-spam change helps clean up your calendar
google calendar tips and tricks feature

Spam is one of the many enemies of the internet, and Google has come up with a new way to tackle it -- at least on your calendar. The search engine giant recently tweaked how events show on Google Calendar so that you'll only be able to display events from senders you know.

With the change, you'll still get email event invitations from unknown senders, but they will only appear in your calendar after you accept. This means that only meetings from people in your same company domain, people in your contacts list, or people you've interacted with before will be added to your calendar automatically. Typically, these are usually trusted people who won't be sending you spam meetings that can mess with your calendar.

Read more