Verizon and Durham test 911 texting




But the center asks that texting not be used in place of a call when possible. Because a 911 operator must ask numerous questions, texting can be slower.

“We’re educating the public about how best to use the technology, but we hope it will be permanently implemented,” Soukup said.

Verizon Wireless will ultimately decide whether the system will become permanent. As of now, most Verizon Android phones have the ability to text 911, but some may need to download the free “Verizon Messages” application.

The impetus for developing a text-to-911 technology stems from the public’s growing reliance on texting, said Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Debbie Lewis.

“More and more people are using that as a means of communication,” Lewis said.

The Durham Emergency Communication Center is the only center in North Carolina that has a 911 system capable of receiving text messages.

N.C. State student, firefighter, technical rescuer and Wake County EMT Matthew Cross says he is excited to hear that Durham is testing the text-to-911 technology. Cross says there are a lot of situations when a phone call would be impractical.

“At football games, you can’t hear a thing,” Cross said. “It would be great to be able to text 911 if something happens in the stands because they wouldn’t be able to hear you on a phone call.”

Currently, 911 call centers receive calls from deaf and hard of hearing people using teletype machines.

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Article source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/01/29/1814295/verizon-and-durham-test-911-texting.html

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