+ The Coast Guard and i911

The US Coast Guard is tapping into cellphone location data to help locate boaters during search and rescue missions. Depending on cell service, new technology in the i911 system lets the Coast Guard access cellphone GPS location data of mariners in distress (with the boater’s permission) up to 20 nautical miles offshore.

The system requires someone who’s in need of help to provide a phone number. No special apps are required. With the number in hand, the Coast Guard sends a text message to the mariner’s cellphone, requesting permission to access GPS location information. To respond, the boater then needs to enable location services in the smartphone settings and click the link provided in the Coast Guard’s text message. This gives rescuers the GPS information they need to find the boater.

“While VHF radio remains the most reliable form of distress communication, this tool gives the Coast Guard another avenue to rapidly locate mariners in distress,” says Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Colin Boyle, command center chief of the 13th District, which covers the treacherous waters of the Pacific Northwest. “In addition, the location-sharing feature is only utilized during an active search and rescue case, and can be turned off by the mariner at any time.”

The i911 system has been authorized for Coast Guard command centers across the entire country, but the 13th District has been one of the first to put the system on full-scale use. To learn more, visit uscg.mil.