Over 99% of Android devices are theoretically able to support this feature via Play Services (Gingerbread and up), but carriers and emergency services need to work with Google before it can expand to more markets. It is sent from the handset to emergency services only when the user places an emergency call, either directly or through the mobile network.
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The feature, called Emergency Location Service, sends location data from your phone to emergency services when you dial 999. “The service activates when supported by your mobile network operator or emergency infrastructure provider”, added Google. Well, Google has now rolled out a tool to make it happen via Google Maps.
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It uses the same location technologies smartphones already use such as Wi-Fi and Global Positioning System to get a more reliable emergency location both indoors and outdoors.The service went live this week in the United Kingdom and Estonia, but is now only supported on Android devices. “We look forward to making Android’s Emergency Location Service available internationally”, wrote product manager Askshay Kannan, “and [we] are actively engaging with more countries and operators to make this widely available”. The service is now available for Android phone users in the United Kingdom and in Estonia. He did not elaborate on why Google chose to introduce the service in these two countries first. In addition, it is made available only when a call to emergency services is placed. The Emergency Location Service option will gradually become available in other countries as well, he said. With a growing proportion of calls to emergency services originating from mobile phones these days, accurate location information has become increasingly critical.
