What the Tech: What to know about calling 911 from a cell phone
By JAMIE TUCKER Consumer Technology Reporter
What would you do if you see someone who needs medical care? You don’t know them. They’re unresponsive and they’re alone.
More than likely you’d grab your phone to call 9-1-1 or ask someone else to do it. A little-known feature on most smartphones can save someone’s life and give emergency responders a lot of needed information before they arrive on the scene.
Rather than dialing 9-1-1 from your phone, it’s best if you use their phone. Most everyone has their smartphone nearby. Take the phone and call for help.
But what if their phone is locked behind Face ID or a passcode? People don’t know you can call for help from their phone even if their phone is locked with a passcode.
If they have an iPhone, just swipe up on the screen. Even if their phone is locked, you’ll see “emergency” at the bottom of the screen. It even displays “emergency” in multiple languages.
Tap “Emergency” to open the keypad where you can dial 9-1-1.
After calling 9-1-1, swipe up again and tap emergency to see “medical ID” at the bottom of the screen. Tapping it should show the person’s name, age, any medications they take, medical conditions, and emergency contacts. From here you CAN send a message to their emergency contacts or call them to let them know what’s going on. It’s a life-saving feature on every iPhone.
It’s also a good way to locate the owner of a lost phone.
If they’re wearing an Apple Watch it’s probably unlocked but if it isn’t press and hold the bottom button. Swipe the tab to make an SOS call which dials 9-1-1 and sends a message to their emergency contacts saying you’ve called for help and shows their precise location.
This works if they’ve set up Emergency contacts. If you still need to do this, you should.
Open the Health app on an iPhone and tap your picture at the top right. Fill in as much as you think is necessary, especially any medication information that would be important in an emergency such as blood thinners and medicine that affects your heart rate.
Add your emergency contacts and phone numbers and then make sure “Show when locked” and “Share during emergency call” are both turned on. You’ll find the option when you set up your emergency contacts.
On Android devices, swipe up on the screen. Tap “Emergency Call” to see their name, call 9-1-1, and view their medical information and emergency contacts. Android phone owners should enter that information on their phones ahead of time. Be aware this could be different depending on which Android device you have.
If you have an old phone sitting around the house, it’s a good way to make sure a young child can call for help. Teach them how to use this. Even if the phone isn’t active and connected to a phone plan, it’ll still call 9-1-1 for help. It’s an important way to keep you and your kids safe and get help for someone who needs it.
