Text-to-911 is a technology that enables emergency call takers to receive text messages.[1] Its use is encouraged for people with hearing impairment or who have trouble speaking; it can also be used for situations when it is too dangerous to call.[2] Text-to-911 has been supported by the four major cellular providers in the United States since 2014,[3] but as of October 2018 it is only supported by approximately 1,600 of more than 6,000 emergency call centers.[4]

Adoption

The FCC maintains a registry of areas supporting text-to-911. All carriers are required to send bounce-back messages to inform the sender that the message could not be received if text-to-911 is not supported by the local call center.[5]

Statewide Support

The National Association of the Deaf provides a map of states providing text-to-911.[16]

Challenges

Call centers are usually funded by both state and federal funding.[4] Limited funding and outdated technology have slowed the adoption of text-to-911.[4] Voice-based calls are still preferred and considered the more efficient form of communication.[1] Many cities are concerned about overuse of texting, which may slow response times.[2] Texts to 911 are not prioritized so they may be slow to be delivered.[5]

History

In August 2009, Waterloo, Iowa, was the first county to begin receiving texts to 911.[17]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Tsukayama, Hayley. "What you need to know about texting 911". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  2. 1 2 "Too dangerous to talk? Some cities explore 911 texting". AP NEWS. 2016-07-05. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  3. ↑ "U.S.' Text-To-911 Service Goes Live, But You Probably Can't Use It Yet". TechCrunch. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  4. 1 2 3 "Why is it so hard to text 911?". AP NEWS. 2018-10-31. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  5. 1 2 "Text Messaging 911 Takes Effect: What You Need to Know". ABC News. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  6. ↑ "Text-to-911 Now Available Throughout Arizona". Arizona Center for Disability Law. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  7. ↑ "Text to 911: How Often It's Being Used". NBC Connecticut. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  8. ↑ "New "Text-to-911" Feature Now Available Statewide". news.delaware.gov. 5 March 2018.
  9. ↑ Staff (2018-06-03). "After 4 years, Indiana embraces text-to-911 in emergencies". WISH-TV | Indianapolis News | Indiana Weather | Indiana Traffic. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  10. ↑ "Text 911 now available in Iowa". www.kwqc.com. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  11. ↑ "Text-to-911 Available Statewide in Minnesota". www.govtech.com. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  12. ↑ "Text-to-911 Now Available Throughout Maine". www.govtech.com. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
  13. ↑ Press release nh.gov
  14. ↑ "North Dakota Launches Local Solution for Statewide Next-Gen 911". 31 October 2014.
  15. ↑ "South Dakota now offers 'text to 911'". 22 March 2021.
  16. ↑ "National Association of the Deaf - NAD". www.nad.org. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  17. ↑ Svensson, Peter (2009-08-05). "Iowa 911 center is first to accept text messages". msnbc.com. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
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