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Getting a TruePosition of an emergency call
The European Commission is considering recommendations for the implementation of an EU-Wide emergency services system for calls made from mobile phones, in which the location of the caller would be provided automatically. TruePosition talks to The BAPCO Journal on how such a system could operate...
With mobile phones rapidly becoming the dominant means of voice communication across Europe, deploying a system whereby the location of the caller is automatically provided to the nearest Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) becomes even more necessary. Particularly since, when a mobile phone user places an emergency call, dispatchers currently have no means of accurately determining the location and as a result must communicate with the caller to determine his location.
In an emergency situation it is essential to render assistance as quickly and efficiently as possible. However, it is common for callers to the emergency services, to be disoriented, not know their exact location or may not speak the native language. All of these factors can lead to delays that not only tie up valuable public safety resources but also can hinder an effective response in dire situations.
Various studies suggest that victims of accidental trauma and other medical crises gain a positive outcome when medical assistance if promptly administered. Patient survival rates and long-term prognosis may thus depend on the rapidity with which emergency response teams can arrive at the scene of a call.
Already saving lives
In the US, emergency location systems are already in place and saving lives as a result of the imposition by the US FCC of fairly stringent performance requirements on the wireless operators, who were made responsible for the implementation and maintenance of the location systems.
Currently two technologies are capable of meeting the needs outlined by the FCC:
U-TDOA (Uplink Time Difference of Arrival) and A-GPS (Assisted Global Positioning System). U-TDOA is a network based technology that uses equipment installed on the mobile operators network to triangulate the location of any mobile phone - current or future. All three major GSM operators in the US have selected U-TDOA for their networks. A_GPS, which is being implemented in CDMA networks in the US, uses the satellite based GPS in conjunction with an A-GPS chip in the handset to pinpoint a location.
The variety inherent in European languages, governmental structure, culture and technical infrastructure can only increase the difficulty of achieving the objective. In consequence, implementation of a common EU standard demands a high level of consultation, planning and co-operation between the various member states. This could only be achieved by a representative body that comprises the necessary technical, financial and political expertise to accomplish the task, PSAPs, Local Exchange Carriers, infrastructure suppliers and other stakeholders in the industry.
All in all location technology not only saves lives, but it can help save time and resources by assisting and determining what type of response to dispatch. Deployment of an EU-wide wireless location system will offer citizens a highly accurate public safety emergency notification service, while synergistically offering commercial benefits to the wireless operator via location based services. Given the lessons learned from the US, the joint development of high accuracy location services, public safety and commercial services, could help fund the initiative and offer a more collaborative , co-operative effort among those with a vested interest.
Since the benefits are clear, with the continued increase in mobile phone use, and the example of how beneficial it has proven in the US. TruePosition believe that the framework of experience for the EU to build on to expedite the deployment of these life saving systems. Wireless location technology has the potential for saving and improving people’s lives.
Side bar: Case study
Deploying wireless E-911 services
An area in the US which has benefited enormously from the deployment of wireless location technology is Spartanburg County, South Carolina, which has a population of over 260,000. The County’s mobile emergency call volume more than doubled from 18 per cent in 1999 to nearly 50 per cent in 2004. In fact, in 2003 alone, the county received more than 95,000 wireless emergency calls.
Accuracy and cost are key concerns in an age when much of the public sector finds its budgets under severe pressure. Dispatching unnecessary ambulances or helicopters becomes a key concern, one that can be mitigated with accurate location information.
David Jones, ENP, Director of Emergency Services Spartanburg County, South Carolina, has been at the forefront of the deployment of wireless E-911 services since the mandate was first issued in 1996. Having worked in the emergency services field for nearly 20 years, Jones now heads the sole PSAP in Spartanburg County, one of the first PSAPs to implement Phase II wireless E-911 in December 2002. The deployment of wireless location technology has enabled the location of any emergency caller to be displayed on a computer screen at the PSAP. The technology is not just saving lives, but is also delivering dramatic and much needed cost savings to emergency services.
Spartanburg County’s PSAP currently has 76 employees to handle dispatching and call taking. In August 2004, they answered 67,000 individual calls for approximately 80 public safety agencies in the county including 42 fire departments, 14 police departments, one sheriff’s office, 12 rescue squads and one medical helicopter unit.
Jones commented: "Location information has always been key to a successful dispatch. Years ago, when the majority of emergency calls were from landline, we had excellent results in locating the call because the telephone operating companies provided the billing information for that phone number. Now, with the dramatic influx of wireless emergency calls, we needed to take action and implement a system that would insure that we could locate any wireless caller, just as quickly as we could when they were landline calls. In an emergency situation it is critical that we reach the person in distress as quickly as possible and wireless location technology allows us to achieve that goal."
