Apparatus for emergency communications using dual satellite communications systems for redundancy and a means of providing additional information to rescue services to support emergency response

A system for emergency communications, comprising:

• a communications device, a Cospas-Sarsat satellite communications system, and a commercial satellite communications system;
• said communications device capable of transmitting messages over each of said Cospas-Sarsat and said commercial satellite communications systems including information that identifies the user of the communication device;
• said Cospas-Sarsat satellite communications system in communication with one or more local user terminals, said one or more local user terminals in communication with a mission control center, and said mission control center in communication with a rescue coordination center;
• said commercial satellite communications system in communication with a commercial satellite gateway, said commercial satellite gateway in communication with one or more servers, said servers connected to the Internet;
• wherein said Cospas-Sarsat satellite communications system and said commercial satellite communications systems are in bi-directional communication by way of an interface, said interface interconnected between said one or more servers and said rescue coordination center;
• wherein said Cospas-Sarsat satellite communications system can transmit messages to said communications device over said commercial satellite communications system by way of said interface,
• said interface being provided by a third party service provider in communication with the rescue coordinator center and the internet and the satellite communication system.