While the nation’s 911 emergency systems have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, they have a distinct problem: they are stuck using yesterday’s technology. In an era of smartphones, tablets and Web-based communications, emergency call centers’ inability to interact with 21st century technology has caused a problem for many.
It simply makes sense that 911 emergency call centers should be able to receive text messages. An individual wishing to summon help because of a break-in or a domestic violence situation may not wish to speak out loud on the telephone. More recently, real-world examples have arisen that are putting pressure on municipalities to update their emergency telecom systems. In the presence of armed shooters such as the one that claimed 32 lives and wounded 17 people on the campus of Virginia Tech in 2007, victims hiding and wishing to remain silent to avoid attracting the shooter were unable to directly summon help via text messaging.
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More and more cities and counties are adding SMS to their mix of emergency communications media. The latest is Camden County, New Jersey. County officials have announced that by the end of the year, citizens requiring help from 911 emergencies will be able to use a three-digit code plus 911 to request emergency services. This will be an interim system until May of next year, when the nation's four largest wireless carriers have agreed to begin offering a text-to-911 service to call centers equipped to handle the technology, according to Philly.com.
In addition, beginning next May, Camden County’s new system will also be able to accept pictures and video, important tools for law enforcement and emergency workers. Most Americans carry smartphones today and are able to take photos of criminals or license plates of interest, but most 911 call centers aren’t equipped to accept them.
The three-digit code will be announced later to avoid premature text messages for emergency help, though it will not be immediately operational for T-Mobile, according to James Jankowski, the county public safety department's chief of communications, who spoke with Philly.com last week.
"It opens up a whole new world for us to be able to get calls faster and get help faster to someone," Jankowski said. "Ultimately that's the mission that we have every day.”