Google Implements New 9-1-1 Feature on Android Devices
Google is implementing a new 9-1-1 feature in the Phone app on Pixel and select Android devices.
Tapping on the “medical,” “fire” or “police” buttons during an emergency call will convey the type of emergency to the operator through an automated voice service. That service works on device, which means the information stays between the caller and emergency services, and the service functions whether or not there is a data connection. After a user activates the service, the caller can speak directly to the operator as well.
Google said its users’ location, which comes from a phone’s GPS, is often already shared with the operator when they make 9-1-1 calls. The new feature provides similar location information through the automated voice service, along with the caller’s plus code, which is another reliable way to help emergency services accurately locate calls.
“Like the rest of the content shared with the operator using this feature, your location stays between them and emergency services,” Google said.
This feature will become available in the U.S. during coming months, starting with Pixel phones.
Google said it has collected feedback from public-safety organizations, including the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), to make this feature as helpful as possible.
Would you like to comment on this story? Find our comments system below.
BENTON, KY — A life was saved in late July thanks to two local dispatchers and a 911 texting program.
Maranda Hanson and Local 6’s own Philip Madison received three separate 911 calls around 9 a.m. on July 21. The caller hung up all three times. Instead of thinking the calls were a mistake, Hanson and Madison took action.
A news release said they attempted to call the number back with no answer. So they turned to a new tool called RapidSOS, which can quickly and accurately pinpoint a location of a 911 caller.
When they couldn’t get a location through RapidSOS, they turned to another new tool called Texty.
(Big 2/Fox 24) – In Brewster, Presidio, Jeff Davis, Hudspeth and Culberson Counties, those in need of help will have another available resource.
“Text-to-9-1-1” will now be available in those areas, according to the Rio Grande Council of Governments. The service allows those in need easier access to emergency services. The service works when citizens send a text to 9-1-1.
According to a release, once the initial text message is sent, the sender will receive an automated response asking for the address or location of the emergency. Officials say the service should only be used in emergency situations and ask that clear, simple language be used.
Currently, the service is only available to AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless customers.
Learn about current efforts to continue to protect the 4.9 GHz Band for public safety as well as recent filings, key decisions impacting these efforts, and how you can support PSSA’s initiative to protect the 4.9 GHz band for public safety.
