Cell phones for satellite SAR location.i911

T

thataway

Active member
This is a link to a recently approved and adapted technology which allows a mariner's cell phone (within cell tower range) to use the phone's internal GPS to give location of distressed mariner.

The system is called: "i911".

The i911 program allows for watchstanders to use a mariner’s cellphone number to assist in finding their location for Coast Guard rescue crews to locate them faster. Once the number is entered, the mariner receives a text message authorizing them to share their location with the U.S. Coast Guard. Once shared, the internal cell phone’s GPS, which uses satellites to pinpoint the mariner’s location, is displayed on a screen for watchstanders to aid in the search for them.
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Although most mariners have VHF radio, some of the smaller craft, Kayaks, inflatables etc don't.

This sounds as if it would also be a very valuable technique for land based SAR.

it turns out it has been around for a couple of years, but not widely publicized...
 
Why can't they use the e911 feature that sends GPS position like LEO, FD, etc. use to get a 911 caller's location? This is a required feature in all cell phones, been there for many years now.

It would seem that if I am in enough distress to call the USCG, I might not be able to respond to text messages. The 911 dispatchers can get your GPS info without you giving explicit permission (say if you become incapacitated during or after you initiate the call).
 
Good question: Why not use the e 911 system as LEO and EMS uses:

e911 is basically and "address service". The dispatcher don't get the exact lat and long.

I recently visited our 911 dispatch center. They have a computerized map, showing approximate location of the caller, but not given in specific co-ordinates. Our maps in Pensacola, stop at the beach edge.

In about 2000, we addressed the specific problem with calling 911 with boating, specifically diving accidents, off the Gulf Coast from Panama City, FL to Mobile Al.

The problem is that there are dive sites, which are accesed by boats from all of those areas, and over a hundred miles of shore line. Cell towers along the coast generally have antennas phased to direct the signal inland and along the coast.
A person who is off the coast might get a 911 operator in a country other than where the nearest help is (Panama City, Pensacola, and Mobile. all have Coast Guard assets)

The 911 dispatchers did not know how to handle this. Where the best asset for rescue was (certainly not in their normal dispatch area of EMS and LEO. We sat down the 911 supervisors, CG, SO, EMS, Navy etc all in one room and established protocols. (so the boat with victim aboard was not told to come to the nearest beach access! (Often where choppers could not land). Even CC may not have proper assets available at any one point in time.

So I can see a universal system where the CG can now contact and work thru the process of getting a co-ordinate for the most available asset, which may be a chopper or boat which is miles away. The I 911 is the same service which is used by LEO and EMS in remote areas currently.
 
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