Apple announced a new feature that is coming to iPhones with the launch of iOS 12. When U.S. based iPhone users call 911, their phone will automatically share their location so that first responders know where to go.
Apple will be joining companies like Uber and Google who already incorporate this feature.
Automatically Shares Location With 911
Apple said that it would be using RapidSOS's Internet protocol to securely share location data with 911 call centers for better response times. In 2015, Apple started the Hybridized Emergency Location (HELO). Using the person's GPS and Wi-FI Access points, it is able to determine the caller's location while they are making the call. Using RapiDSOS, they are able to use existing software already available at 911 call centers.
In its announcement, Apple cites that the figure that around 80 percent of 911 calls come from cell phones. It also says that the Federal Communications Commission will be requiring operators to located callers within 50 meters at least 80 percent of the time starting in 2021.
Apple also announced that the feature would ensure that user's privacy is protected. It stressed that the location data that is being shared with 911 operators could not be shared during non-emergency situations. Apple also said that only 911 operators will have access to the caller's location during the call.
How The System Works
iPhones with iOS 12 will now send their exact location to a RapidSOS dispatcher, which will then share the locations with local emergency response centers. This would allow for emergency responders to reduce the amount of time that it would normally take to respond. The FCC estimates that this change to response times could save 10,000 lives per year.
Current 911 systems were made during times when landlines were the norm. This allowed operators to be able to determine the caller's location immediately. Now that people use mobile phones this is more difficult. Carriers do share location data with 911 operators but their estimates can be off by a few hundred yards.
RapidSOS has also worked with car manufacturers to be able to send data such as the make, model, and the number of people involved in a crash to emergency responders. It is a free system but it is only being utilized by less than half of emergency response centers in the country. It hopes to increase participation to a majority of centers by the end of 2018.
