911 Texting, Don't Count On It!

[MPSCS]

Unreliable
Nothing to give 911 text priority
Nothing to show if it went through

911 Texting Won't Work — Yet -- Courant.com

[mikepdx]

Is anyone really STUPID enough to text message
911 to report an emergency?

[MPSCS]

Originally Posted by mikepdx

Is anyone really STUPID enough to text message
911 to report an emergency?

Initially I was thinking the same thing, but I guess there could be situations were you could not talk. Maybe you're really ill, or injured and can't talk. Another scenario might be that a woman, or child might be hiding under a bed, or in a closet during a home invasion, and they don't want to risk being heard.

[radiofan1]

Deaf and hearing impaired people would use it

[gewecke]

mike, There are certain tactical situations,as were mentioned that would make texting useful. Our pd here has recently upgraded their phone system to all allow students and mothers "at risk" to text. So there might be logic to this option. Ex, Let's say a child is witness to another being bullied or solicited to buy drugs and can't call for help due to the chance of being heard? Or how about the battered female needing safety from her estranged drunk husband in the next room? Texting could be used in these situations!
N9ZAS

[HometownWarrior]

Texting is used in parts of nevada by the deaf and hard of hearing it soon will be nationally mandated.

[MeddleMan]

The idea I had is relaying info to a dispatcher direct. Today, officers dispatched to a call were confused about the exact location of an event, due to confusing names regarding streets and neighborhoods. The officers and dispatcher questioned each others knowledge of the whereabouts of a neighborhood and whether or not to split up and go investigate the situation in two or three different places. They finally figured via the caller through cross streets were to go to, instead of going out of their way across county, or just outside the county into the wrong neighborhood across the creek. I knew the location of the neighborhood in question, having been there a lot on buisness, having being a new neighborhood. Connections in the building industry help. I could have relayed the info faster, but I don't personally know ay dispatchers or their cellphone #'s.

[MeddleMan]

The idea I had is relaying info to a dispatcher direct. Today, officers dispatched to a call were confused about the exact location of an event, due to confusing names regarding streets and neighborhoods. The officers and dispatcher questioned each others knowledge of the whereabouts of a neighborhood and whether or not to split up and go investigate the situation in two or three different places. They finally figured via the caller through cross streets were to go to, instead of going out of their way across county, or just outside the county into the wrong neighborhood across the creek. I knew the location of the neighborhood in question, having been there a lot on buisness, having being a new neighborhood. Connections in the building industry help. I could have relayed the info faster, but I don't personally know ay dispatchers or their cellphone #'s.

[mikepdx]

Originally Posted by gewecke

mike, There are certain tactical situations,as were mentioned that would make texting useful. Our pd here has recently upgraded their phone system to all allow students and mothers "at risk" to text. So there might be logic to this option. Ex, Let's say a child is witness to another being bullied or solicited to buy drugs and can't call for help due to the chance of being heard? Or how about the battered female needing safety from her estranged drunk husband in the next room? Texting could be used in these situations!
N9ZAS

Hmm... Yeah, that make sense.
Certainly useful for the deaf, as was mentioned, too.

[ltjweiss]

it seems 911 texts are treated the same as hang ups around here. at least it seems like it as heard over the scanner.

[gewecke]

Originally Posted by ltjweiss

it seems 911 texts are treated the same as hang ups around here. at least it seems like it as heard over the scanner.

In central ill. they are treated that way if they are received as a blocked number or with gps turned off. Otherwise they are treated as legit.
N9ZAS

[knightrider]

Another incidence is when all cell service is tied up, and voice cannot go through. Here in Central Texas, we are burdened by people leaving the coast during hurricanes, and heading North. Everyone wants to talk on the cell while driving, and even the various services cannot get a connection to talk. A text message goes into a queue and waits it's time to be sent. While this is not at all the best, it can still be effective. I would NOT rely on it in a life and death emergency, but can still get some vital info through. We now have a work around so we can get through the network with the cellphones to get our calls through. This is for Emergency Services only though. I agree with the fact that there are situations where the texting can be the real lifesaver, and needs to be studied further, and implemented. As for turning off the GPS, and so on, folks need to get over the "I'm not willing to have Big Brother following me". He already does, so get used to it. If the need arises, anyone CAN be found, it's just a matter of the priority... Me, I've been in their system at least since I was 18 when I was REQUIRED to sign up for Selective Service, or Go To Jail then. I've survived 59 years of it, and had a GREAT time with it. Oh, and if I am in trouble, I WANT to be FOUND, and I WANT ALL the resources at hand heading my way!!! If I'm not in trouble, find my coordinates, and stop in for a visit, and a cup of coffee....

[Dorpmuller]

How could someone do that? I'm 10-15 minutes just trying to get contacts into the phone list in my cellphone, clumsily fat-fingering it.

Rich