As a few minutes (or even seconds) can sometimes determine the outcomes of an emergency situation, there is no doubt of the importance of accurate location when responding to an emergency call. AML is active in the smartphone operating systems developed by Android and Apple (iOS), it identifies when an emergency call is placed and sends it to the centre attending the call.
This week, the Netherlands has joined the list of countries already deploying the life-saving technology, as it has been enabled for Android devices with Apple ones joining soon. The country is the 15th to make AML operational, joining Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Lithuania, Moldova, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States.
This achievement for public safety is the result of parliamentary questions raised throughout 2018 after several media informed of the untapped possibility of implementing this life-saving technology. As a result, the Minister of Justice and Security, Ferdinand Grapperhaus, committed to the deployment of AML by the end of the year, and after a slight delay, we can now celebrate a safer country and more efficient emergency response in the Netherlands!