In UK, if you supply GPS co-ordinants to 999 emergency services, can they locate you?

Question

We walk in the UK a lot and could be in the middle of a forest when an emergency could occur. If we dial 999 from a mobile phone and give them GPS co-ordinants, can they trace us from that or are they not yet that up-to-date? Clearly it's sometimes hard to know exactly where you are in the middle of a forest!

Answer 1

I think they've been using GPS internally for quite a while now. They *should* be able to use any coordinates you can give them.

Answer 2

If you call 112 (its 999 for mobiles) instead you do not even have to bother with the GPS coordinates, they can track you location through your mobile phone. The coordinates would also be to your advantage as mobile phone tracking as not as accurate as a GPS.

It is actually quite offencive to ask if our emergency services are that up to date, we do not live in the dark ages.

Answer 3

No, they cannot.



There was a recent incident reported on the BBC where someone called the emergency services and provided both a full postcode and a full GPS location. But because the property was new build and not on their database they could not locate them with either.

Answer 4

If you can supply the latitude and longitude position as given in your gps any idiot can pinpoint your exact location on a map. Try

Google Earth and you will understand. Its free.

Answer 5

Absolutely!! Probably not easily but certainly if you used 6 figure co-ordinates!

Answer 6

yes they can although the more infomation you can give the quicker they can respond