We live surrounded by technology and home automation is increasingly present. We have household appliances that are capable of knowing when, how much and in what way to wash clothes or vacuum dust. We also have the possibility of simply turning something on or off from the mobile, no matter where we are. There are devices that are compatible with Alexa and Google Home that make our lives easier in our day to day. Now, could you call 112 in case of an emergency? We talk about it in this article.
What are Alexa and Google Home? They are basically intelligent voice assistants. We can ask questions to get answers we need. They can also be linked to devices of all kinds and be able to control them remotely, just by having a mobile with an Internet connection.
They need ability to call
The quick and simple answer is no, although as we will see later there are options. An Alexa or Google Home device can’t make calls in an emergency. They can’t help you if you have a mishap at home. At least for now, technology and home automation do not have this capability. The main obstacle is that the devices need the ability to call and simply having a Wi-Fi Internet connection is not enough. They need to call 112, give certain information, have access to the location to record the call in case it is cut off, etc.
There is also the reason for false positives or misinterpretation. That is, if Alexa had that ability, she could mistakenly call 112 in a noisy situation or misinterpret voice instructions. It is not something simple and that can be used today, with the technology we have.
Therefore, to contact 112 or any medical, police or fire emergency number, what you have to do is directly use a mobile or landline phone and dial manually. We cannot depend on home automation devices, such as those used by Alexa or Google Home.
There are some options
Although at first an Alexa device is not designed to make calls, you can get in touch with 112. One way is to use an Echo Connect, connected to a landline phone, and use it as a speaker. This way, you can tell Alexa to call any number. It is key to prevent Wi-Fi from disconnecting.
You also have the option to set up an emergency contact in the Alexa app. It can be, for example, a friend or a relative. In this way, Alexa can call or send a message and that contact, that emergency person that you have put, calls 112 for you or can come to your aid.
In addition, there are certain options with Alexa applications that will also allow you to send alerts to contacts in case of emergency. Even if it is not a call to 112, you can receive help if you need it.
Therefore, as you can see, you will not be able to count on Alexa directly to call 112. You will be able to make some configurations and, in a way, be able to ask for help if you need it. Technology is advancing a lot and we are seeing important changes due to artificial intelligence and home automation. It is possible that in a short time we will have more options in this regard.
