Rideshare apps and delivery services can easily track customers to their cellphone, but emergency responders have long been lacking that type of precision.
Arizona 911 operators will now be able to pinpoint a caller’s location with a few feet, thanks to a new IP-based system called Next Generation 911. With more emergency calls coming in from cellphones than landlines now, the updated digital format is expected to get help on the scene faster.
The new system can locate callers within 3 feet on a cellphone. And it uses precise coordinates to find landline calls instead of relying on billing addresses from phone company records.
The state’s 911 team worked with cities, counties and public safety officials to standardize location data and make sure that NG911 reaches rural communities or those with limited resources.
If you can’t call, have bad service or a low phone battery, you can now text 911 or send photos, videos and audio files from most places across the state.
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