At least one cellular carrier says it doesn’t believe that SMS or text messages from cellular telephones are an appropriate way to reach emergency dispatchers, even though a former NENA president says he’s ready to implement the technology. In a statement to North Carolina TV station WRAL, the company said, “AT&T believes that text messaging via SMS is an inappropriate mechanism for any time-sensitive, mission-critical communications.” The company was referring to the technology used to transmit the messages, and the priority used to move the messages through AT&T’s network. On the other hand, Johnston County (NC) 911 director Jason Barbour says he’s pushing for implementation of the technology after Blackhawk County (Iowa) became the first comm center to accept text messages to 911 earlier this month. “What we’re waiting on now is for the phone companies and the standards to get in place so that this type of media can be transmitted to the 911 centers,” Barbour told the TV reporter. Read more here.
A recent incident points out the public’s dependence upon alternative means of communications to comm centers.
On June 28th Alice Morrin was murdered by her husband in Vernon (Conn.) after she text-messaged a friend to call the police. “Help, call Vernon Police. Jim just dragged me in our room put loaded gun to my head. Hurry please he would hear me on the phone. I talked him down,” she typed.
The friend dialed 911 for help, and reportedly spent four minutes on hold before talking to a dispatcher.
Two minutes later Morrin sent another text message saying she was in a back bedroom, her husband was in the front bedroom, and he was armed with a knife and gun.
Morrin then dialed 911 herself, while police were responding. During the call, she was shot and killed by her husband.
The incident has prompted State Rep. Stephen Dargan to consider requiring comm centers to accept text messages.
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