EENA: a step forward to save lives
EENA recommends improving caller location information for mobile emergencies
In a significant development, the European Emergency Number Association (EENA) has presented a set of crucial recommendations aimed at improving the accuracy and reliability of emergency caller location information for mobile-originated emergency communications. The initiative comes in response to a delegated regulation issued by the European Commission on 16 December 2022, which supplements the European Electronic Communications Code (Directive 2018/1972).
Concerns about European coordination of information
The new rules outlined by the European Commission provide guidance on how the ‘competent regulatory authorities’ of EU member states are to determine the criteria for locating emergency communications. Member states have been given a deadline of 5 March 2024 to adopt the initial caller location criteria, with the entry into force of the legislation marking the start of a one-year countdown.
However, EENA and other stakeholders expressed concerns about the EU-wide coordination of caller location information in the event of an emergency. As a result, EENA took the initiative to draft a comprehensive set of recommendations to address this issue.
Combined use of location technologies
EENA’s recommendations require EU Member States to establish criteria imposing a horizontal accuracy estimate of 50 metres for 80 per cent of all emergency communications originating from mobile devices. To achieve this level of accuracy, EENA suggests the combined use of network-based and phone-derived caller location technologies, in line with the provisions of Directive (EU) 2018/1972, as supplemented by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/444.
These recommendations were not made in isolation; EENA collaborated with key stakeholders who provided valuable insights into the capabilities of smartphones to accurately determine the caller’s location and the network and service infrastructure required for efficient location transmission.
In addition, the paper presented by EENA includes an in-depth analysis of the accuracy and reliability criteria already implemented in countries around the world, as well as statistics collected by European PSAPs (Public Safety Answering Points) on the accuracy of location information derived from mobile-derived emergency communications in 2022.
The EENA recommendations represent a major step towards improving emergency response capabilities, ensuring that people in distress can be located quickly and accurately. With the adoption of these criteria by member states, it is hoped that the EU will establish a robust framework for emergency caller location information, saving lives and improving overall emergency management across the region.