Town Implements Texting for Non-Emergencies

With public safety associations and the Federal Communications Commission rushing towards technology to allow texting to 911, a Wisconsin city is taking a different approach by allowing non-emergency texts to its main 10-digit telephone number. The new service allows residents of Middleton (Wisc.) to make a voice call or send a text message to the same police department telephone number, and receive information back directly from a dispatcher. Besides enhancing service for speech or hearing impaired persons, text messaging is now an option for the city’s smartphone users, and particularly for the city’s large college population. The system relies on technology from Zipwhip Inc. that taps directly into the nation’s mobile SMS network, and routes messages to and from 10-digit wireline phone numbers. The technique doesn’t interface or interfere with the wired phone line, but simply adds the number to the SMS network. On the sender side, text messages are sent using the same smartphone—or even dumb phone—interface. In the comm center, a dispatcher simply logs in via Web browser, and incoming messages pop up on-screen, just like mobile messaging systems. There are also apps that allow handling text messages from a mobile device like an iPad. In a press release, city officials noted that texts could help off-load telephone calls to the comm center about power outages, parade times, curfew hours and other routine events, allowing dispatchers more telephone time for more important calls. Find more information about Zipwhip here.