Google Launches SOS Alert Feature In Search, Maps For Emergencies

Google is trying to keep up to speed with Facebook when it comes to emergencies. Google announced Tuesday it is launching a new SOS alert feature for Search and Maps to keep users informed during a crisis.

SOS alerts in Google Search and Maps will provide users with information, including official updates, about an incident or affected area that was searched.

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The feature could be useful, since people already tend to search on their smartphones about what is going on or what to do during an emergency.

“In times of crisis, access to timely, actionable information is crucial,” Google said in a blog post. “Working alongside trained responders and volunteers on the ground, technology plays a vital role in providing information to help keep you and loved ones safe and informed.”

How To Use The SOS Alert Feature On Google

Search

If you search a place or incident on Google, you’ll be able to see an SOS alert at the top of the search results. For example, when you search “BC wildfire,” you’ll see a red SOS alert for the crisis with wildfires in British Columbia, Canada.

The search page will display a share option next to the alert, so you can pass on the information to friends on social media or via email. Below the SOS alert you’ll see top news stories about the wildfires, followed by an official update with a “More Information” option and a map of the affected area. The page will also display recent tweets and a “Need Local Information?” option which leads to a list of phone numbers to call, like the British Columbia Wildfire Service number to report a fire and another to learn about the situation, as well as a government website. Google will also offer translations of useful phrases, it said.

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If you’re close to an affected area, you may get a notification on your smartphone that directs you to useful information.

The information regarding an incident or affected area is available if you just search the place, even if you’re outside the vicinity. Information displayed also includes donation opportunities related to the incident.

Here’s how the Search SOS alert looks like:

Maps

The Google Maps app on your smartphone will also show SOS alerts when searching a certain place. When you’re in Maps, a specific icon will appear on the place along with a card with more information about the location’s emergency. The SOS alert feature on the Maps app will be useful for drivers, since it displays real-time updates, like road closures and traffic and transit updates.

Here’s how the SOS alert on Maps looks like:

Google worked with government agencies and organizations for the SOS feature, including the Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

"Radio and television were once the only channels to quickly provide information in an emergency, but the internet and mobile phones have become increasingly important,” said FEMA Director Robert Glenn in a statement.