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Coordinates for Emergency Services

In an emergency, share your coordinates in any format — but know how to convert for search and rescue teams.

When seconds matter, knowing how to communicate your location precisely can save your life. This guide covers how emergency services use coordinates and how to share your location effectively.

Calling 911 with GPS Coordinates

Modern smartphones send a DD coordinate with 911 calls via E911. If you need to verbally report your location: give Decimal Degrees (e.g., "47 point 6062 north, negative 122 point 3321"). Avoid DMS over the phone — it's easy to mishear seconds as minutes. Plus Codes also work well verbally.

Search and Rescue Coordinate Formats

US Coast Guard SAR uses DD. US Air Force RCC uses UTM. Mountain rescue teams may use UTM or MGRS depending on the unit. When calling in a distress location to any agency, give DD first and mention you can also provide UTM or MGRS. The converter above lets you quickly output all formats.

PLB and EPIRB Coordinates

Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) and EPIRBs transmit Cospas-Sarsat coordinates in DD. When MRCC receives a distress signal, coordinates are in DD. Rescue teams in the field may need UTM or MGRS for map navigation to the site.

Using Plus Codes for Emergencies

Plus Codes are excellent for emergency use: they are short, can be said verbally, and work offline. A 10-character code like "84VRCWCV+GF" locates you to ~14m. Many emergency dispatchers in Africa and Southeast Asia now accept Plus Codes. Google Maps displays your Plus Code on the Location menu.

Coordinate Converter

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