When accuracy matters: The role of GPS in an emergency response
In emergencies, every second counts. When someone is in a critical situation, the ability of emergency responders to locate them quickly and accurately is crucial. While we often rely on GPS in our daily lives for convenience, its accuracy and reliability are absolutely essential for emergency services.
In this post, we’ll explore why GPS accuracy is so important for emergency response, the limitations of current GPS systems, and the technological advancements that are improving faster and more positive outcomes.
Why GPS is vital in emergencies
In our daily lives, we often take technology for granted – especially when it comes to navigation. We trust our GPS systems implicitly, believing that they will guide us accurately to our destination, whether it’s an Airbnb, or an off-site meeting location. However, while our current GPS might get us to the right area, we often have to rely on our natural instincts to find the exact location we are trying to get to.
If you’re trying to find your way to a restaurant, a few metres might not matter, but when a life hangs in the balance, and an ambulance is diverted even slightly off-course, the ramifications can be catastrophic. For example, studies have shown that for every minute delay in treating a cardiac arrest, the chances of survival decrease by about 10%. This puts into perspective how a GPS error could make all the difference to a safety of life situation.
In an emergency, the importance and trust in our location couldn't be more important. It impacts which emergency responders are dispatched, and in a life-threatening situation, every second counts.
Benefits of enhanced GPS accuracy in emergency services
An enhancement to GPS location offers a wealth of benefits that can significantly impact emergency response times.
Faster router planning
Performance standards by NHS England state that category 1 calls which are life threatening have a target response rate of 7 minutes on average, and 90% of calls in 15 minutes within 7 minutes and to 90% calls within 15 minutes. The Government is taking action to improve their overall response rates and emergency care services backed by a 2 year delivery plan and a £1 billion dedicated fund.
Accurate deployment of resources based on real-time insights ensures the nearest vehicle is despatched and the most efficient route is taken. Positioning navigation and timing solutions offer turn-by-turn directions, and route planning in context to traffic information and can be invaluable for emergency responders.
Continuous monitoring
Integration with GPS tracking allows emergency responders to monitor response times in real time and make adjustments to improve efficiency. Personal safety devices such as medical alert necklaces for vulnerable users are equipped with GPS to send out automated alerts to family members and emergency services in case the user is at risk – these alerts can be set up hourly.
Identifying a person's location
Enhanced location accuracy from a mobile phone, car, wearable or vehicle could help to quickly identify a person's location, even if they are in an unfamiliar place.
When emergency services respond to a call, one of the first steps is identifying the caller’s location. This is particularly crucial in situations where the individual is unable to provide an address or when the location is difficult to describe. In times of need, GPS is essential for pinpointing your location, and enabling quick response when you need it most.
The importance of mobile phone GPS in emergency situations
The reliability of GPS in an emergency situation isn’t just about reaching the right address; it’s about reaching it accurately – to the right flat in a building or to the right side of the street and as fast as possible. In the UK alone, statistics from 2023 show that 79% of emergency calls were made from a mobile (including eCalls from vehicles). In many areas of the USA, 80% or more emergency calls are made from wireless devices, and the EU reports similar statistics, with 78% of calls made from mobiles in 2023. This highlights the importance of accurate GPS on the mobile phone, to enable emergency services to reach the right location. Android’s ELS and iOS’ emergency services leverage a technology powered by GPS/Wi-Fi, called Advanced Mobile Location, in which the caller does not have to speak at all.
GPS devices used in emergencies
GPS technology has expanded beyond navigation and is now integrated into a range of personal safety devices and applications used in emergencies. We use GPS in everyday scenarios to enhance personal safety, such as sharing our location with loved ones when out late, tracking our children’s locations, or carrying GPS-enabled devices when hiking.
1. Smartphones and wearables
Modern smartphones are equipped with advanced GPS features that can be life-saving in emergencies. For example, Apple’s iPhone 14 includes fall detection and emergency GPS functions, and Google offers “loss of pulse detection”, which allows the device to automatically alert emergency services if they’re at risk.
2. Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs)
For outdoor enthusiasts, Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) provide GPS-based SOS features that can be critical in remote areas. These devices allow users to send distress signals that can be picked up by search and rescue teams, even in locations with limited cell service. This technology has saved lives in situations where traditional communication channels are unavailable: for example, when a fishing boat overturned off the coast of Northern Ireland, or when a family was caught in severe weather in the Tasmanian wilderness.
3. Emergency beacons
In addition to personal devices, emergency beacons designed for hiking or extreme sports automatically send distress signals if the user encounters danger or is immobilised. These beacons use GPS to send precise coordinates to rescue services, making it easier for responders to locate the person quickly and accurately. Garmin's inReach uses GPS for location and Iridium satellites to enable two-way communication (meaning you can send and receive text messages). In 2022, Garmin reported that 10,000 lives were changed by their SOS technology.
4. eCalls in Vehicles
eCalls (mandatory in cars sold in the EU from 2018) are an automatic emergency call system integrated into vehicles that trigger an alert to emergency services in the event of a serious crash. When an eCall is activated, it transmits critical information, including the vehicle’s exact GPS location, time of the incident, and the vehicle’s direction of travel. This technology significantly reduces response times, which can be vital for accident victims. By leveraging location data (sometimes with the aid of mapping services like TomTom), emergency responders can reach incidents more quickly, even in complex traffic scenarios.
Current limitations of GPS for emergency services
Despite its remarkable capabilities, GPS does face certain limitations:
1. Multipath interference in urban environments
GPS can encounter significant challenges in urban settings, where tall buildings can reflect signals and cause “multipath interference.” This results in delays and inaccuracies in positioning and timing measurements, degrading the overall performance of GPS. This makes it difficult for emergency responders to locate people precisely in dense urban areas.
In ideal conditions, consumer-grade GPS devices can locate a person within five metres. However, in the “concrete jungles” of major cities, this accuracy can degrade considerably, posing challenges for emergency responders .
2. Atmospheric conditions and environmental barriers
Atmospheric conditions, such as heavy rain, thunderstorms, or solar flares, can interfere with GPS signals, leading to delays in identifying locations accurately. In rural areas, dense forests, mountains, or even large bodies of water can obstruct signals, further affecting GPS performance when it is needed most.
3. Outdated routing technology for emergency calls
In many rural areas across the U.S. and Canada, outdated 911 routing still depends on distant cell towers. Sometimes these are up to 10 miles away and can misroute over 20 million calls per year.
In the UK, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) is the closest equivalent to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States. Ofcom regulates communications services, including broadcasting, telecommunications, and postal services. It also sets standards for mobile networks and emergency call handling, among other responsibilities, to ensure public safety and effective communication infrastructure across the UK.
For emergency calls, Ofcom oversees and sets standards similar to FCC’s role, such as emergency call handling and location-based services, to support quick response times in emergencies.
Impact of GPS in emergencies: Success stories
Investing in innovations that enable rapid disaster response will enhance safety for first responders and protect communities nationwide.
Already put to the test is using AI with GPS, proven to save and protect lives at scale. One specific example of this is during the wildfires of Sonoma County California in 2022, where a fire was detected 10 minutes ahead of even the emergency services teams being alerted, giving responders a head start on containing the fire.
In the EU, eCalls save up to 2,500 lives annually.
In 2004, GPS played a key role in relief efforts following the tsunami in the Indian Ocean and the Pakistan-Indian earthquake in 2005.
Meteorologists rely on accurate GPS for storm tracking and flood protection meaning that GPS has become an important and essential part of any emergency response.
The way forward for faster emergency responses
Location-based routing
As of Jan 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) , a United States Government Agency adopted a Report and Order requiring all wireless carriers to implement location-based routing for wireless 911 calls and supports real-time text (RTT) to 911 call centers. This system uses the caller's actual location, rather than the cell towers and is expected to save 14,000 lives annually by reducing emergency response times by an estimated minute.
Ofcom in the UK sets response times standards to emergency call handling and location-based services. Currently there are ongoing improvements to reduce margin for routing errors and upgrades that add system resilience.
Next-gen 911
NENA, the 911 association, estimates 80% or more calls are placed from GNSS-enabled cell phones. The Next Generation 911 (NG911) service will allow users to share media such as text messages, photos and videos with responders, who can then derive real-time locations. The equivalent in the UK is Next Generation 999 (NG999) with a further EU initiative known as NG112 . In Britain the goal is for emergency systems to support Voice over IP, wearables, smart speakers and digital home assistants by next year (2025) whilst make improvements to the UK's overall public safety infrastructure.
Improving GPS accuracy
GPS software upgrade: FocalPoint’s next-gen GPS software, S-GNSS®, improves GPS accuracy in a smartwatch, a phone or for in-car satnavs. Offered as a software upgrade for existing GNSS receivers, it helps mitigate multipath and reject spoofing signals, enhancing cybersecurity.
GPS III: GPS III offers enhanced accuracy, providing up to three times more accuracy and up to eight times anti-jamming capabilities over previous generations. These advancements have the potential to enhance emergency service response times and reliability.
As we continue to innovate and push the boundaries of what’s possible with GPS technologies, we understand the crucial role accurate GPS plays in public safety.
Ensuring that our navigation and location systems are more than just tools of convenience, but reliable safety nets in critical situations, will help define the future of both technology and public safety. The next generation of GPS will enable quicker response times, leading to more efficient care for individuals and improving global emergency response strategies.
Learn more about our purpose and read more stories about how our technology can help improve the lives of everyone relying on GPS technology.