https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • IWCE 2022 Winter Showcase
    • IWCE 2023 Pre-event Guide
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookie Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • IWCE 2023 Pre-event Guide
    • IWCE 2022 Winter Showcase
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

NG-911


News

RapidSOS partners with Google to deliver improved wireless 911 caller location to PSAPs

RapidSOS partners with Google to deliver improved wireless 911 caller location to PSAPs

RapidSOS this week announced a partnership with Google to deliver Android Emergency Location Service (ELS) information to public-safety answering points (PSAPs) for free, providing U.S. 911 centers with a method to access improved wireless-caller location much more quickly to enhance incident-response efforts.
  • Written by Donny Jackson
  • 21st September 2018

RapidSOS this week announced a partnership with Google to deliver Android Emergency Location Service (ELS) information to public-safety answering points (PSAPs) for free, providing U.S. 911 centers with a method to access improved wireless-caller location much more quickly to enhance incident-response efforts.

RapidSOS CEO Michael Martin said that ELS is “very similar” to Apple Hybridized Emergency Location (HELO), which uses device-based hybrid location—technology that leverages information from Wi-Fi access points and myriad sensors on a device, as well as traditional GPS—to locate an emergency caller.

“We actually piloted with them [Google] back in January, in three 911 centers around the country,” Martin said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “It was a fairly small pilot, but they’ve now announced that, as of September, that we’re deploying this across the United States.

“In our pilot, we saw a median accuracy of 37 meters, versus wireless Phase II [via current E-911 technology], which can be over 150 meters.”

RapidSOS provides a method to deliver ELS data quickly to PSAPs via its secure NG911 Clearinghouse, which is offered as a free service to 911 centers, according to Martin. Current E-911 technology often requires call-takers to engage in a time-consuming bidding process to obtain location information, but RapidSOS typically is able to deliver enhanced caller-location data as the 911 call reaches the PSAP, he said.

“What we provide is that very accurate location immediately with the call, for every caller today, via a free service to the PSAP,” Martin said. “[Caller-location information] is updated throughout the call, so there’s no need to bid—it’s all automatic. So, it removes a lot of the operational challenges with that legacy system, as well.”

PSAPs can access location information delivered by RapidSOS—the company announced a partnership with Apple earlier this year—via two methods, Martin said.

“It’s a software update for every major call-handling, CAD, mapping, integrated application—wherever the 911 center wants the data, we can provide it for free,” Martin said. “Or, with some of the older systems—where there can be a bit of an upgrade cycle—we also provide a free, secure web tool that a PSAP can use to start receiving the data immediately, as well.”

Known as RapidLite, this RapidSOS web-portal platform at www.rapidlite.com is designed to be easy for PSAPs to use, Martin said.

“Any PSAP essentially can create an account in about 10 minutes, and then we go through a credentialing-authorization process,” he said. “In 48 hours, a PSAP can to receive data directly on their screen.”

RapidSOS service is free to public safety, but provider partners compensate RapidSOS to deliver their information to 911 centers, Martin said.

Improving location accuracy for wireless 911 callers is a priority for public safety, as about 80% of 911 calls are made from wireless devices, according to statistics from the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). Without accurate and reliable location information, public safety’s response often is delayed or requires the utilization of more valuable resources than would be needed if the accurate location of an incident were provided.

Martin said that wireless carriers often have very good location information about 911 callers, but they lacked a mechanism to deliver it to PSAPs. RapidSOS has established a next-generation 911 (NG911) system that does not transmit voice calls but does deliver supplemental data, such as location information.

“When we studied this issue over the last six years, one of the things we saw was that sometimes the carriers have very accurate location, but that location isn’t actually appearing at the PSAP,” Martin said. “The challenge is that you’re trying to squeeze that location data through this legacy public switched telephone network. There are all sorts of technical, business-model and operational issues that prevent that from occurring.

“What we provide is an end-to-end next-generation 911 system. But, for the PSAP, you don’t have to stand up a full ESInet and all of the infrastructure. We’ve made it available as a simple software update [to PSAP systems] or via our RapidLite service. Underneath the hood, you’re getting a fully secured, i3-standards-compliant next-generation-911 system; it’s just a much easier implementation.”

Although RapidSOS is best known for delivering location information to 911 centers, the company’s platform can be leveraged to provide other types of useful data, Martin said.

“You get precise location information for all of your 911 calls coming from Apple, Google or Uber, or getting a variety of conditional data feeds, as well—Uber trip information, driver information, license plate, data for the vehicle,” he said.

“If the PSAP chooses, it can access some of the health information that we have. We also have a variety of IoT sensor data that’s available. So, PSAPs now can choose the type of data that they want to receive. We’ve seen some PSAPs that want to receive everything, and some are just very focused on location.”

Martin said it is important that PSAPs are able to choose whether to receive this supplemental data, so each 911 center can customize the inputs in a manner than does not create a data-overload environment for PSAP personnel. This promises to be especially critical during the next few years, when information from billions of Internet of Things (IoT) potentially will be integrated into the emergency-response system.

If processed properly, data from these myriad devices could greatly enhance public safety’s ability to respond to emergency incidents better and more quickly, Martin said.

“We absolutely believe in a world where all of the devices are sharing life-saving information directly to 911 and first responder,” Martin said. “We’re starting to think about all of the other types of information all of the other types of information that—if properly analyzed and curated—could help facilitate a faster response, as well … We’ve announced our work with Apple, Google, Uber, Waze and Microsoft on this, and we have a number of other partnerships coming.

“We believe that it’s going to totally transform the paradigm of response, which, for the last 50 years, was centered on basically a voice-only system—in the middle of your emergency, you somehow had to get out your phone, call and have a conversation, and you had to speak everything from your location to what’s occurring—to a paradigm where increasingly our connected world can provide all of this rich information around this incident.”

Tags: homepage-featured-4 Companies Dispatch/Call-taking Incident Command/Situational Awareness News NG-911 Public Safety Software State & Local Government Tracking, Monitoring & Control News

Most Recent


  • Panel at SBC event examines significant economic, policy challenges facing in-building communications
    Ensuring that public safety can communicate while responding to emergencies inside buildings is a clear need, but identifying the proper solutions and making them affordable to building owners is a significant challenge, according to panelists exploring the topic during a recent Safer Buildings Coalition (SBC) event. Mike Baltrotsky, assistant chief and technology manager for Montgomery […]
  • Indoor 5G and how to solve it
    We all know the problem: mobile phone service is working fine … until you move indoors. Then, sometimes it works (you don’t notice), sometimes it sort of works (meh) and sometimes it clings on by one tiny bar or drops out entirely (argh). Diagnosing the problem is relatively simple. The loss of mobile service indoors […]
  • Honeywell releases cybersecurity, smart-building tools
    Honeywell has released a series of new tools aimed at improving operational efficiency and sustainability, including an operational technology (OT) cybersecurity tool and a smart building management system. The new cybersecurity tool, Cyber Insights, collects information from multiple OT data sources to identify vulnerabilities and threats.  “Organizations should leverage technology to address worker shortages, while […]
  • Small-cell focus still largely on densification, but private-network opportunity growing
    Some big ambitions for small cells were on display during the annual Small Cell World Summit in London this week. But it’s worth remembering that on the ground, their deployment is still at a relatively early stage. Dean Bubley of Disruptive Analysis, who chaired a panel addressing the issues of value creation and monetization, summarized […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • New Orleans-area 911 center inks multiyear APEX deal with Carbyne to replace call-handling system
  • APCO, NENA, NASNA speakers cite ‘discussions’ to address NG911 funding issues
  • RapidSOS partners with Google to deliver improved wireless 911 caller location to PSAPs
    Newscan: Dorchester County (S.C.) learning lessons following 911 outage
  • Semiconductor industry growth spikes, but supply remains constrained

Commentary


Updated: How ‘sidelink’ peer-to-peer communications can enhance public-safety operations

  • 1
27th February 2023

NG911 needed to secure our communities and nation

24th February 2023

How 5G is making cities safer, smarter, and more efficient

26th January 2023
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.