Question 1

Do I need to search for a full address?

Accepted Answer

A full address should always be entered. Accurate data may not be provided if a full address is not used. Simply entering a city name typically selects a point in the geographic center of that city. That point could fall, for example, within a college campus with its own law enforcement agency. In this case, an emergency dispatch agency other than the primary one for the user’s specific address could be displayed.
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The screen in the app from which an emergency call is made displays the address entered at time of creation. Minimizing the phone call window during the call will display the contact detail screen again with the address. This will assist the user in remembering and communicating the location to the emergency operator during what will likely be a traumatic experience.

Question 2

Can DistantEmergency locate a distant victim if the user does not know the victim's current location?

Accepted Answer

No. No DistantEmergency offering has the ability to locate a distant victim or address. The user must communicate the victim’s specific location to the emergency dispatch operator.

Question 3

Where does the data come from?

Accepted Answer

DistantEmergency utilizes a proprietary database built using publicly available contact and coverage area data from sources such as Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), agencies’ public records, municipal map data and direct outreach to agencies' leadership.

Question 4

Instead of subscribing to DistantEmergency, could I just look up the local police departments or 911 Centers where each of my contacts live?

Accepted Answer

It is certainly possible to look up emergency dispatch agency data for U.S. locations and save their phone numbers. However, even on many agencies' websites, it is not clear which number to call to report an emergency from outside that jurisdiction. DistantEmergency has analyzed publicly available information about these agencies from multiple sources and is continually conducting outreach to these agencies to keep the database accurate. If an agency's information is changed in the database, the DistantEmergency app instantly updates a saved contact's data in the app when the app is subsequently opened. The DistantEmergency app also has the added benefit of creating a contacts list and displaying the victim’s full saved address as the call is being made.

Question 5

How do I know the call will actually work in an emergency?

Accepted Answer

When using the DistantEmergency app, an emergency call is made from the user’s phone--just like any other phone call--and not from the app itself. Once the “call emergency dispatch” button is tapped, the user is shown the phone number in a prompt to confirm the call, which is a feature of the phone’s normal calling capability.

Question 6

Why is the phone number partially obscured in the app?

Accepted Answer

After the first contact is created in the app, DistantEmergency requires a subscription to create additional contacts, which is what allows the full number to be displayed and saved. This measure is also intended to deter misuse of the data.

Question 7

How do I know if I should use DistantEmergency or dial 911 in an emergency?

Accepted Answer

When in doubt, dial 911. If you believe the emergency is in your same local 911 agency's coverage area, dial 911. For all other situations, calling a number provided by DistantEmergency will likely get help to the victim much sooner. Even for close contacts in your local area, it is still recommended to create contacts in the app for them in case you yourself are out of the area when one is experiencing an emergency. When in doubt, dial 911.

Question 8

Could I just call 911 and report the distant emergency?

Accepted Answer

Other than using DistantEmergency data, dialing 911 is the most effective way to send help to a distant emergency. However, this is what DistantEmergency seeks to improve upon. Dialing 911 connects the caller to their local 911 dispatcher. For a distant emergency, the caller must explain the emergency and provide the dispatcher the distant address. The dispatcher must then open the proper geolocation tool (which might just be Google Maps), enter the distant address, determine the appropriate agency and how to contact them. The same location information would again need to be communicated to the distant dispatcher. DistantEmergency allows a user to avoid the time spent with their local dispatcher and go right to the dispatcher closest to the actual emergency. This is precious time in an emergency.

Question 9

Is my contacts' data in the app shared externally?

Accepted Answer

No. Contacts and their data are saved locally within the app on the phone. They are not saved or backed up to any external DistantEmergency infrastructure. For more information, please refer to the DistantEmergency Privacy Statement.

Question 10

Can the DistantEmergency app sync with my phone’s contacts and import their addresses?

Accepted Answer

No. This is intentional. DistantEmergency is only as accurate as the saved location data. The app is designed so the user must manually enter contacts’ addresses on an individual basis. This is to ensure those addresses are current. Users must manually update any contact’s address if they move and it is recommended to confirm all contacts’ addresses are still accurate on at least an annual basis.

Question 11

What if a 911 Center or other emergency dispatch agency changes its status, consolidates or the data otherwise changes?

Accepted Answer

The value of the DistantEmergency app is that each time it opens, all contacts’ addresses will have been recently re-validated with the databases to ensure relevant data has not changed. If relevant data has changed in the DistantEmergency database, it is updated in that contact’s details automatically and the user is notified of the change in a popup notification. This also mitigates the risk of a user saving a contact incorrectly.

Question 12

What if a database DistantEmergency accesses suffers an outage?

Accepted Answer

Emergency calls for saved contacts will still work as normal since those do not rely on connection to the DistantEmergency database. It is extremely unlikely the database will be inaccessible, since it is hosted by an organization with many datasets, many of whose customers are other public safety agencies. However, in the unlikely event, DistantEmergency will not be able to search for emergency dispatch data, such as for a new address entered in the search field. The DistantEmergency app will not be able to validate whether contacts’ designated emergency dispatch data has changed since last update in the database. However, emergency calls for saved contacts will still work as normal. Contacts’ data is saved local to the phone and will be unaffected. Emergency calls are not dependent on any external connections; only phone reception.

Question 13

Have more questions?

Accepted Answer

Please email info@distantemergency.com.

Frequently Asked Questions