Google has announced support for sending messages through RCS to the 911 emergency service in the United States, allowing users to send images, videos, and location data to emergency responders. Currently, Americans can send SMS messages to 911 in some areas, but 911 call centers only support 53% of these messages and have limitations on sending multimedia.
Google has partnered with a company called RapidSOS, which specializes in emergency communication technology, to provide RCS capabilities to 911 centers across the US at no cost. This service will be integrated with Google Messages on Android and will utilize the Android Emergency Location Service to automatically provide essential data to responders.
Note: Thailand has a similar service through Line OA @esshelpme, operated by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) in collaboration with the Royal Thai Police. Messages sent through this service will be directed to the 191 center in that specific area – details.
Source: Google, RapidSOS
TLDR: Google enables RCS messaging to 911 services in the US with multimedia capabilities through a partnership with RapidSOS, while a similar service is available in Thailand through Line OA @esshelpme.
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