Emergency! What's my location?

[Neal]

As a follow up to:

Stranded, no cellular, what ya gonna do?

This has now happened to our beloved @ARD twice so maybe others can learn from this situation which I believe I've covered on this forum before. Survival is something you have to think about even in an apartment on wheels so let's discuss several things I've learned from others from various...

rvforums.com

You need to call for help and they ask for your location. Do you know how and where to find it? There are multiple options but the easiest option, at least for iPhone users (don't have Android) is the COMPASS app. You could probably fire up your GPS such as a Garmin if you know where to look, assuming you have it nearby. But you can even screenshot and text someone a picture of the compass screen such as I did below.

FYI

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[Bigblockyeti]

I've struggled with this oddly at my own property less than 20 minutes from my house. The address isn't marked at the street and it's out of sequence so the county, in their infinite wisdom decided to change it. Then they changed it again to the intersecting street that my driveway doesn't connect to. The excuse given was for the 911 system to be able to accurately find addresses. I go up there to mow, run a brush cutter and when necessary, a chainsaw. Any of these could put me in a situation where I would need medical help and I sent the county an email (at some point in time a registered letter will be sent) letting them know they are facilitating a plan that could lead to a delay in response time when I may be in dire need and doing so comes with liability and accountability. My lawyer will have this on file as he'll be drafting what needs to be formally sent.

Local idiocy aside, I probably need to look into having my wife be able to track my movement with her phone so she can make sure I keep moving & can call me if I'm not.

I suspect in the future she'll also be able to monitor my temperature, pulse, blood pressure, oxygen saturation level and who knows what else. I don't think that will be available for several years, then reliable for another 20+ years after that.

 

[CaptainGizmo]

YES…SUPER IMPORTANT to always know your location and how to pass that information along to anyone who needs it!!

The compass app is “ok”, but here are a couple more ways to do it…faster…and with more information.

1. You can ASK SIRI for “MY EXACT LOCATION” and you’ll get this panel:

2. But my preferred method is to use APPLE MAPS. Scroll all the way to the bottom and select MARK MY LOCATION. Not only will it find the address, if one exists, you’ll get the LAT/LON along with the ability to SEND THAT INFO to someone; including many 911 dispatch centers who now accept text messages!

 

[GypsyR]

My oldest grandson was showing off his new bluetooth headset and how Google could now read off directions directly to his helmet earphone when out riding. Grandma and I then blew his mind with how we used to ride our dinosaur, umm, motorcycle, cross country and just anywhere sans GPS, blue tooth, and some years ago, cellphones even! He couldn't wrap his head around it. Asked what we'd do in a failure I told him that bag hanging off the front of the forks was full of these things called tools...
No really. This is the east coast. There's no section of land near paved roads around here someone hasn't been peeing on for a couple hundred years. There's always something or someone in walking distance. Out west there are more than a few areas where it's a whole different story.

Kind of veered off topic, I know. Sorry.

 

[DennisT]

Local idiocy aside, I probably need to look into having my wife be able to track my movement with her phone so she can make sure I keep moving & can call me if I'm not.

Actually pretty easy if you have iPhones. Wife and I recently did this.

Basically share location with the other at all times. Then you can each go in the find me app and see where the other is real time.

 

[Bigblockyeti]

We both have android phones, I know there's something similar, just not exactly the same.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

My oldest grandson was showing off his new bluetooth headset and how Google could now read off directions directly to his helmet earphone when out riding. Grandma and I then blew his mind with how we used to ride our dinosaur, umm, motorcycle, cross country and just anywhere sans GPS, blue tooth, and some years ago, cellphones even! He couldn't wrap his head around it. Asked what we'd do in a failure I told him that bag hanging off the front of the forks was full of these things called tools...
No really. This is the east coast. There's no section of land near paved roads around here someone hasn't been peeing on for a couple hundred years. There's always something or someone in walking distance. Out west there are more than a few areas where it's a whole different story.

Kind of veered off topic, I know. Sorry.

I had a story, but like yours better! This is my response to where are you! Well, I'm about 10 miles north of Phoenix. South bound I-10. I'm sitting in my lawn chair along side of my black truck!!! And don't bother calling me, someone stopped to see if I needed help like all people used to before cell phones, and I borrowed there phone to call you!!! Thank God there are still some real people in this crazy world!!!

 

[AbdRahim]

I suspect in the future she'll also be able to monitor my temperature, pulse, blood pressure, oxygen saturation level and who knows what else. I don't think that will be available for several years, then reliable for another 20+ years after that.

Already here.

 

[sheridany]

apple watch has a compass with long lat on it.

 

[GypsyR]

We both have android phones, I know there's something similar, just not exactly the same.

"Life360" in the Google store. It's free. I ignore it but my wife uses it. Last week grandson #2 got chastised for doing 89 mph on his motorcycle on the interstate. Mom looked to see where he was. It even reports when someone else in the circle's battery is going dead. Like I said, I ignore it. Every once in a while a family member will ask what the heck I was doing way out so and so. I forget it tracks me.

 

[Bigblockyeti]

Last week grandson #2 got chastised for doing 89 mph on his motorcycle on the interstate. Mom looked to see where he was.

I don't know where you or your grandson are in Upstate SC, but if on I-85 or I-26, 89mph is the new don't get run over speed. The posted speed limit +25mph seems to be the norm more so every day. I don't drive that fast because it's not safe and I'm trying to burn less, not more 3x price per gallon gas. I now avoid the interstate at all costs when on two wheels and my bike isn't particularly small at over 900lbs. Just too many people with too little accountability, even the semis are regularly running 15 over and camping the in passing lane they're expressly prohibited from.

 

[Joe Hogan]

A couple of useful tips, especially for 911, know what county you are in and state for that matter.
it helps responders to choose the correct team to send.
Cell phones do funny things. I was hit by another car on a snowy mountain pass in VT. When I called 911, I hit a NYS cell tower. They had no idea of where i was even after I explained my location. They needed to redirect the call to a county dispatch in VT.

 

[GypsyR]

I don't know where you or your grandson are in Upstate SC, but if on I-85 or I-26, 89mph is the new don't get run over speed. .

More info might be helpful. Been living here like 30 years, a co-worker once claimed I drive everything like I stole it and both my daughters heartily agreed. Grandson is on his first motorcycle, which grandma helped finance. Mom was initially totally against the whole thing. Part of our argument for it was that the bike he was after was a "starter bike" and not actually "fast". Boy is still on his learner's permit. So where going 89 mph might mean little to nothing to you or me...

 

[Ventana]

What3words is an app that will give you three words that pin points your location to within a few feet. I'm told it is used by first responders

 

[ARD]

I use an app called "Where Am I." Here is a screenshot of what it looks like: