Civil protection

GNSS offers a unique tool to support the operations that are needed for the management of various types of emergencies. Positioning and position reporting is vital during the operations of various entities involved in emergency management, such as the police, fire brigades, civil protection, ambulances, etc.


Crisis and emergency situations require a joint effort of several different forces and teams, in a coordinated way and sometimes in particularly stressful environments. In the case of large-scale disasters, the infrastructure for transport and communication is likely to be unavailable. Also roads, power lines, water distribution systems may be damaged or even destroyed. As a consequence, the operations for rescue or assistance could be very difficult, and it is vital that the basic infrastructure is quickly restored in order to give first aid to the victims. Galileo will be a valuable tool to support these types of situations. Its high reliability, even in emergency situations and difficult environments, is therefore a key characteristic of paramount importance to ease the management of natural or man-made disasters.

Prevention of catastrophic events with the survey and monitoring of assets, dams, bridges, including support to cartography for the management of emergencies, are also areas where Galileo and EGNOS can bring significant benefits.

Synergies between European GNSS and Copernicus (Earth Observation) are being leveraged. is funded by the European Union within Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, under grant agreement no 641615.