Uber App Can Now Call 911 Directly In Cambridge

CAMBRIDGE, MA — If you're in an Uber and for some reason you need to call 911 and give them your exact location along with details about the car you're in and driver you're with, well, now there's an app for that.

“Every second counts in an emergency, and these new updates will help ensure those living, working and visiting Cambridge get help quickly with accurate information if faced with an emergency situation,” said Director of the Cambridge Emergency Communications Department Christina Giacobbe in a statement.

Cambridge joins Springfield as the second city in the Commonwealth to connect 911 call takers and Uber Passengers through the Uber app. Now, 911 dispatchers will be able to automatically receive potentially life-saving information regarding an Uber ride, the city announced Friday.

Uber passengers can now swipe to call 911 directly within the app and share their location with Cambridge Emergency Communications Center officials in an emergency. A passenger’s live trip details and location and the Uber driver's car info, including license plate, make, model and color as well as the caller's name and any details they've shared on the "safety profile" such as emergency contacts and medical information, will be shared with emergency responders.

The 911 integration will work anywhere. However, the information about the driver, vehicle and location is not integrated with other neighboring 911 Centers, yet, officials told Patch.

Previously, 911 dispatchers had to rely on often outdated location information or rushed info from a caller, which could be anywhere from 10-500+ meters off and cost precious time during emergency situations, according to police. But this is a step up, using GPS and wifi access points.

“These location updates will further improve responding officers’ situational awareness, help achieve a more accurate description alongside the existing location information and ultimately deliver a faster, more effective response,” said Cambridge Police Commissioner Branville Bard Jr.

Cambridge ECC has been working with the software providers (RapidSOS) who enabled this integration for a number of years and this is one of their latest developments.

You can download the Smart911 App on the Apple Store or Google Play.

Screen shots of Uber app courtesy Cambridge City