Google launches emergency location service in Canada

Android users calling 911 will have their position transmitted to responders

- TARA DESCHAMPS

Next time Android users in Canada make a 911 call, a new service embedded in their phones will quickly transmit their location to emergency responders. The service relies on a combination of Wi-Fi, GPS and cell towers to pinpoint where a caller is.

Next time Android users in Canada make a 911 call, a new service embedded in their phones will transmit their location to emergency responders.

Google announced the debut of Android's Emergency Location Service in Canada, saying its goal is to reduce response times by helping emergency personnel locate people in need quicker.

"This is such a critical service to users because so often a call taker wouldn't have gotten the location they needed to quickly and easily dispatch that help, so this is ... a huge help to Canadian folks who are calling emergency services," said Boone Spooner, a group product manager for Android safety at Google.