Fcc 2 consdr 911 txtng

[Baylink]

In a Tuesday press release, covered by Wired among other sources, the FCC announced that it's looking into how to enable 9-1-1 PSAPs for SMS, streaming video, and other new technologies.

Money quote (literally): "It’s not clear yet where the money will come from for the upgrades, whether they will be federal requirements states and cities must carry out or if they will simply be suggestions."

Wired: FCC Updating 911 for the Texting Generation, SRSLY | Epicenter*| Wired.com

Slashdot: Slashdot Mobile Story | FCC To Allow Texting To 911

Mashable: FCC May Allow You to Send Text Messages to 911

TSAG Next-Gen-911 project website: TSAG

 

[ssd]

wow i ask this in the ca sac forums. a year or 2 ago. it funny the fcc must have seen it

 

[poltergeisty]

The only problem I see with this is that when you place a call to 9-11 the operator will ask you a series of questions regarding the nature of the call so a message like, i c a fi8 won't be worth much. So there would need to be considerable education on how to send these types of messages. Who, what, where. Or better yet an app for that!

 

[Baylink]

In fact, an App that builds an SMS message might be the best approach. The problem is: how would you *test* such an app.

 

[fineshot1]

In fact, an App that builds an SMS message might be the best approach. The problem is: how would you *test* such an app.

The app that builds such an sms message would have to deliver to the local PSAP's
a pre-determined set of parameters, ie: gps coordinates or location info of some type,
nature of emergency, sms caller identity, etc, etc. The app at the PSAP end would
have to collect said parameters and display for the PSAP call taker, and all of this
data must be recorded and archived for later LEA research usage.

This can all be tested and implimented but of course will take time.

I can see this being of benefit to many but especially the hearing impaired
who can not normally use a standard cell phone for 911 calls.

 

[Baylink]

Good point. If was deaf, I know I'd be turning *cartwheels* over the frickin Blackberry.. And email and SMS in general.

Email to PSAP would actually be as useful as SMS, if not more.

I predict they'll have to have one full body to deal with such things though; someone who's used to IRC, and can have 7 conversations at once.

 

[Stick0413]

I too think it would have to be app based. Because someone might just send I need help then its going to go from texter to dispatcher over and over.

 

[SCPD]

Deaf people can use cellphones to call 911. Every cellphone has TTY. Every 911 is mandated to except and handle TTY calls, per ADA. At the 911 center I work at every silent call we have send TTY to make sure its not a TTY call before disconnecting.
As I said in the other thread, did see this one, this is a bad idea. Look at my other post for the reasons

 

[Baylink]

Let us properly expand "Every cellphone has TTY".

"Every cellphone *can be connected to a TTY*, if you've a) spent the several hundred dollars a TTY costs and b) happen to have it with you wherever you are."

It does *not* mean "Every cellphone *can communicate with a remote TTY natively". And note that the penetration of cellphones is probably *higher* amongst deaf people now than TTYs is -- certainly for things you're carrying around. (I invite citations to statistics either way.)

I will look at your other post.

 

[SCPD]

Let us properly expand "Every cellphone has TTY".

"Every cellphone *can be connected to a TTY*, if you've a) spent the several hundred dollars a TTY costs and b) happen to have it with you wherever you are."

It does *not* mean "Every cellphone *can communicate with a remote TTY natively". And note that the penetration of cellphones is probably *higher* amongst deaf people now than TTYs is -- certainly for things you're carrying around. (I invite citations to statistics either way.)

I will look at your other post.

TTY is built into cell phones.

 

[fineshot1]

TTY is built into cell phones.

Not all cell phones have this TTY capability and you still need a TTY machine
interface in order to use this functionality.

What Is TTY Mode on Cell Phones? | eHow.com

 

[Baylink]

TTY is built into cell phones.

You are asserting, let me be clear, that

* all cellphones in the market right now
* can talk 45 baud ASR28 TTY protocol to TTY machines at the other end of a voice cellular call
* *with no additional equipment*?

You're either badly misled, you misunderstood me, I'm misunderstanding you, or you're lying.

Please try one more time, and use a few more words, if you would, so it's actually possible to be certain what you're asserting?

 

[newsphotog]

Using SMS for 911 PSAP's is nothing new.

Black Hawk County, Iowa, has been using it for over a year: :-( help! asap: Iowans put 911 texting to test - USATODAY.com

 

[fineshot1]

Using SMS for 911 PSAP's is nothing new.

Black Hawk County, Iowa, has been using it for over a year: :-( help! asap: Iowans put 911 texting to test - USATODAY.com

To state its "nothing new" is a bit of a stretch.

It is "very new" considering that what you sited above is the only example in the USA.

They appear to be a beta test and most likely have close support from all of the PSAP
equipment & software vendors and are probably still finding problems/bugs and making
quick fixes. The vendors first on the scene to make all the necessary fixes and make
it work correctly (or mostly trouble free) usually gain quick and sizable market share.

As an example - VOIP has been popular for approx 10 years now and they are still finding
and fixing many problems.

 

[Baylink]

Ok, a little research seemed in order.

Here's a Wireless Week piece that goes into quite a bit more detail: you have to be on one specific carrier, and *you have to pre-register*, which should cut falses down by quite some bit, I should think:

Iowa 911 Call Center Becomes First to Accept Texts | Wireless Week

And from another WW piece, here's the counter arguments:

http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/20...o-Not-Rely-SMS-Emergency-Safety-and-Security/

with a direct link to their [PDF, 75pp] white paper:

http://www.4gamericas.org/documents/SMS to 911 White Paper Final October 2010.pdf

which I'm going to read every page of (while the turkey digests , not so much for the 911 aspects, but because it will inadvertantly tell me *everything I want to know* about the state of play of SMS transport this year. ;-)

 

[kb2vxa]

Should the 911 operator be able to see cell phone video it will go down like the opening scene of Law And Order, quite entertaining actually as they try to sort what's going on. (;->)

Seriously, all that's needed is audio and TTY already available according to the above posts. Anything else is superfluous and the answer to where the money will come from is taxpayers of course. All things considered I can't help but include a clip from Jefferson Airplane, Volunteers, America is FED UP!

Look what's happening out in the streets
Got a revolution Got to revolution
Hey I'm dancing down the streets
Got a revolution Got to revolution
Ain't it amazing all the people I meet
Got a revolution Got to revolution
One generation got old
One generation got sold
This generation got no destination to hold
Pick up the cry
Hey now it's time for you and me
Got a revolution Got to revolution
Come on now we're marching to the sea
Got a revolution Got to revolution
Who will take it from you
We will and who are we
We are volunteers of America

 

[poltergeisty]

I like this option. YouTube - GTA 4 i need a firetruck

 

[kb2vxa]

...wtf?

 

[poltergeisty]

:lol:

 

[Baylink]

UPDATE: here's an editorial on the topic, also from Wireless Week:

Blogs | Wireless Week