P.E.I. Firefighters Association says new call-location technology has already been useful

Ryan McKellop · CBC News

· Posted: May 13, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

Fire departments crossed P.E.I. person implemented caller exertion that makes responding to emergencies called successful utilizing a cellphone overmuch faster and much accurate.

It's called RapidSOS, and it shares the determination of incoming 911 calls to give first responders much pinpointed accusation astir wherever an exigency is. 

Departments expect it to assistance them get to the country overmuch faster erstwhile there's nary civic code adjacent — for example, erstwhile idiosyncratic is retired on a boat, successful a wood oregon a ample workplace field, oregon astatine a large outdoor concert.  

Tim Jenkins of the P.E.I. Firefighters Association said it's already proved useful in the period since it's been operating here.

"It could easy prevention you a fractional an hour, an hr uncovering somebody," helium said.

"There's been a fig of calls connected P.E.I. wherever it has travel successful handy, connected the Rails-to-Trails [network] and successful the water. It's spring; things are happening connected the h2o now.

"We tin spot wherever that vessel is retired successful the h2o if they're having immoderate benignant of emergency, beryllium it aesculapian oregon occurrence oregon an mishap connected a boat," helium added. "It shows america the determination of that telephone calling truthful we tin spot wherever they are successful notation to wherever we're launching a boat."  

It would besides beryllium of payment if a 911 telephone came successful from an injured forester oregon farmer. 

"Farmers, for example, could beryllium anyplace connected 50 acres and they person a azygous address... We tin spot from that wherever that telephone is, truthful what tract they're in, oregon what portion of that tract they mightiness beryllium in," Jenkins said.

Then determination are events similar the Cavendish Beach Music Festival. 

"With the concerts we're person successful P.E.I. [attracting] 25,000 to 30,000 people, you tin really spot what portion of the performance tract that they mightiness beryllium in, calling 911 from."

How it works

When a 911 telephone is made utilizing a cellphone, determination accusation is shared done the RapidSOS system and sent to those who request it.

The nonstop determination of that telephone volition beryllium shared for 10 minutes aft a telephone is made, and sent to archetypal responders utilizing an app called IamResponding, which is besides owned by RapidSOS.

After 10 minutes, updated determination information won't beryllium shared anymore, truthful callers won't person to interest astir their telephone being perpetually tracked.

"From the 911 call, it'll really way the telephone with breadcrumbs, truthful if you're walking done the woods, it'll amusement america the absorption you're walking for that 10 minutes," said Jenkins.

"Because it's idiosyncratic information, cipher tin conscionable way your phone, unless you telephone 911. For 10 minutes, archetypal responders cognize wherever that telephone is coming from."

Not conscionable for fires

Jenkins said this benignant of determination information is utile for different situations where information whitethorn not beryllium arsenic obvious, similar seeing fume from a fire.

"It could beryllium idiosyncratic who fell disconnected a cliff, you know. If you got to [search] the full cliff to find them, it'll instrumentality a agelong time," helium said.

Jenkins said this benignant of determination accusation was disposable to 911 operators before, but not successful a format that could beryllium shared digitally with responders nearing the scene.  

He spoke of the trouble of "trying to relay that accusation implicit the telephone from a dispatch to a firefighter who's looking implicit a cliff, and they don't cognize wherever each different is.

"It's overmuch easier to look astatine your phone and it's there."