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Emergency text messaging services are a technology that enables emergency call operators 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 calling may pose a safety risk, such as a home invasion or domestic abuse.[2] Concerns mainly arise from the accessibility of such technologies as they are not universally applied and may be inconsistent; therefore, voice calls are generally preferred for its speed, accessibility, and clarity.[3]

A poster by the West Midlands Ambulance Service promoting the emergency text messaging service in the UK

Description

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The technology allows an individual that requires emergency assistance may text an emergency number as opposed to calling it. Emergency services are conventionally reached through voice-based calls dialling an emergency telephone number. However, such systems assume that the caller is able to communicate by voice and may exclude the impaired. It is generally presented as an alternative, and not as a replacement, to calling (which is still preferred.)[4] Texting to emergency services present themselves as a viable alternative if the individual is disabled, in a situation where speaking out loud would compromise the caller's safety, where speaking would impede help, or where network coverage is limited, as text messages take up less data.[5] Some services require prior registration (such as in Singapore and the United Kingdom, see below), some are strictly for the medically impaired, while most are available for usage by the public-at-large as necessary.

Adoption

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Australia

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Unlike 911 used in the United States, Australia uses triple zero as its emergency number. As of November 22nd 2023, contacting emergency services through texting 000 is not currently possible. However, for individuals with hearing or speech impairment, 106 remains the only option, as it is accessed via a teletypewriter (TTY.)[6]

Canada

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Texting to emergency services is adopted in Canada in the form of T9-1-1, however it is not as mature or accessible as the systems found elsewhere. The system is strictly for used by the 'deaf, deafened, hard of hearing, or speech impaired persons' and is not available for the general public. [7] Furthermore, a voice call to 911 must be made to initiate the text connection and cannot be contacted simply by texting to 911. It also requires registration and a valid messaging plan. It is also noted that coverage is not as extensive compared to other nations, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police discourages its usage unless medically necessary.[8]

France

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In France, there is a separate phone number for the deaf and hearing impaired, 114. It is separate from the phone numbers 15, 17, 18 or 112. Through this service, individuals can contact emergency services through text and an application. However, it is not strictly restricted to disabled individuals and there is no registration process; the Deputy Director stated that it is for 'anyone... even temporarily.'[9]

Singapore

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In Singapore, a joint initiative called the 'Emergency Short Message Service Helpline Services' allows for texting (via SMS) to reach emergency services. There are two numbers for contacting emergency services through SMS, they are 70999 (Singapore Police Force) and 70996 (Singapore Civil Defence Force.) However, unlike other emergency texting services, it is only available for professionally diagnosed persons with hearing loss and/or speech difficulties and requires registration for usage through organisations such as SG Enable, Singapore Association for the Deaf, or TOUCH Community Services.[10]

United Kingdom

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Texting emergency services in Britain is offered by Relay UK.[11] through a service called emergencySMS (eSMS).[12] Similar to the system in Singapore, individuals must register beforehand to use the service; however it is done in the UK by texting 'register' to 999 instead of contacting a separate association. [13] It was first proposed as a early day motion (EDM) in Parliament[14] and implemented in the United Kingdom in 2009 for impaired individuals.[15]

United States

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In the United States, the technology is referred to as Text-to-911. The Federal Communications Commission (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 the technology is not supported by the local call centre.[16] Text-to-911 has been supported by the four major cellular providers in the United States since 2014,[17][18] but as of August 2024, it is only supported by approximately 54% of the country's more than 6,000 emergency call centres.[19] However, in many areas that do not support text-to-911, the message will be directed to a statewide response centre. The National Association of the Deaf and AccesSOS maintain a map of counties providing text-to-911.[19]

In August 2009, Waterloo, Iowa, was the first county to begin receiving texts to 911.[20]

Challenges for widespread implementation in the US

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Call centres in the United States are usually funded by both state and federal funding, therefore limited funding and outdated technology have slowed the widespread adoption of text-to-911.[18] Moreover, many communities are concerned about overuse of texting, which may slow response times.[2] This leads to decreased local allocation of resources and funding as it is not conclusive whether text-to-911 is effective to invest in, thereby relying on federal funding which may be slower.

Availability by state or territory

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Below is the list of individual states and territories of the United States of America, sorted by alphabetical order, and their implementation of Text-to-911 (as of July 2024):[21]

State Two Letter Code Supporting Text to 911
Alabama AL Statewide[22]
Alaska AK Partial
Arizona AZ Statewide[23]
Arkansas AR Partial[24]
American Samoa AS No
California CA Statewide[25]
Colorado CO Partial[26]
Connecticut CT Statewide[27]
Delaware DE Statewide[28]
District of Columbia DC Yes
Florida FL Partial[29]
Georgia GA Partial[30]
Guam GU Yes[31]
Hawaii HI Statewide[32]
Idaho ID Statewide[33]
Illinois IL Partial[34]
Indiana IN Statewide[35]
Iowa IA Statewide[36]
Kansas KS Partial[37]
Kentucky KY Partial[38]
Louisiana LA Partial[39]
Maine ME Statewide[40]
Maryland MD Statewide[41]
Massachusetts MA Statewide[42]
Michigan MI Partial[43]
Minnesota MN Statewide[44]
Mississippi MS Partial[45]
Missouri MO Partial[46]
Montana MT Partial[47]
Nebraska NE Partial[48]
Nevada NV Partial[49]
New Hampshire NH Statewide[50]
New Jersey NJ Statewide[51]
New Mexico NM No[52]
New York NY Partial[53]
North Carolina NC Statewide[54]
North Dakota ND Statewide[55]
Northern Mariana Islands MP No
Ohio OH Partial[56]
Oklahoma OK Partial[57]
Oregon OR Partial[58]
Pennsylvania PA Statewide[59]
Puerto Rico PR Yes[60]
Rhode Island RI Statewide[61]
South Carolina SC Partial[62]
South Dakota SD Statewide[63]
Tennessee TN Partial[64]
Texas TX Partial[65]
Utah UT Statewide[66]
Vermont VT Statewide[67]
Virginia VA Statewide[68]
U.S. Virgin Islands VI Partial
Washington (state) WA Statewide[69]
West Virginia WV Partial[70]
Wisconsin WI Partial[71]
Wyoming WY Partial[72]

See also

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  • 311, the non-emergency number in North America.
  • 911 Tapping Protocol, a New York City initiative to provide viable alternatives to voice-based emergency calls for the impaired.
  • Emergency medical dispatcher, a professional tele-communicator tasked tasked with organising responses for medical emergencies
  • Enhanced 911, a system in the United States that provides location data for call operators to locate the caller.
  • Next Generation 9-1-1, a project to modernise the 911 system in the United States
  • Reverse 911, a protocol used in North America to inform individuals in a geographic area by public safety organisations.

References

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  1. ^ Tsukayama, Hayley. "What you need to know about texting 911". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  2. ^ a b "Too dangerous to talk? Some cities explore 911 texting". AP NEWS. 2016-07-05. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  3. ^ "Text-to-911 is here, but it isn't everything you might think". CNET. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
  4. ^ "Text to 911". San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District. Retrieved 13 Jul 2024.
  5. ^ "Text to 911 Services". Weld County. pp. 'When should I use Text-to-911 services?'. Retrieved 13 Jul 2024.
  6. ^ Joel (2019-05-03). "Calling Triple Zero (000)". AMTA | The Voice of the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Industry. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
  7. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions (Text with 9-1-1)". textwith911.ca. Retrieved 12 Jul 2024.
  8. ^ Government of Canada, RCMP (2008-10-07). "BC RCMP - RCMP cautions against using text messaging for emergencies". bc-cb.rcmp-grc.gc.ca. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
  9. ^ Thompson, Hannah (2024-02-09). "114 emergency number helps if you cannot communicate easily in France". www.connexionfrance.com. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
  10. ^ "Emergency Short Messaging Service (SMS) Helpline Services - A joint initiative by the Singapore Police Force, the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the National Council of Social Service" (PDF). scdf.gov.sg. Retrieved 12 Jul 2024.
  11. ^ "Contact 999 using Relay UK". relayuk.bt.com. Retrieved 12 Jul 2024.
  12. ^ "EmergencySMS Service". West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust. 2017-01-20. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  13. ^ "Emergency SMS using Relay UK". Avon and Somerset Police. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
  14. ^ "Text message 999 service (Early day motion)". parliament.uk. 18 November 2009. Retrieved 12 Jul 2024.
  15. ^ "Contact 999 by text" (PDF). Inclusion London. Retrieved 12 Jul 2024.
  16. ^ "Text Messaging 911 Takes Effect: What You Need to Know". ABC News. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  17. ^ "U.S.' Text-To-911 Service Goes Live, But You Probably Can't Use It Yet". TechCrunch. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  18. ^ a b "Why is it so hard to text 911?". AP NEWS. 2018-10-31. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  19. ^ a b "Text to 911". text911.info. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  20. ^ Svensson, Peter (2009-08-05). "Iowa 911 center is first to accept text messages". msnbc.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2017. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  21. ^ "Text to 911 Master PSAP Registry". fcc.gov. 3 July 2024. Retrieved 12 Jul 2024.
  22. ^ Can I text to 9-1-1?, Alabama 9-1-1 Board. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  23. ^ "Text-to-911 Now Available Throughout Arizona". Arizona Center for Disability Law. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  24. ^ 911, Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, Arkansas Department of Public Safety. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  25. ^ Candice Nguyen, Jeremy Carroll, Erin Panell and Michael Horn. "Text-to-911 can't locate you as accurately as voice calls, putting vulnerable more at risk", NBC Bay Area, 27 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  26. ^ Availability of Text-to-911 in Colorado, Colorado 911 Resource Center. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  27. ^ "Text to 911: How Often It's Being Used". NBC Connecticut. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  28. ^ "New "Text-to-911" Feature Now Available Statewide". news.delaware.gov. 5 March 2018.
  29. ^ Statewide Test-to-911 Initiative, Florida Department of Management Services. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  30. ^ Annual Collection of Information Related to the Collection and Use of 911 and E911 Fees by States and Other Jurisdictions: Idaho, Federal Communications Commission, 2021.
  31. ^ Next Generation-911 System Set to Go LIVE, Office of the Governor of Guam, 8 May 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  32. ^ Hawaii Text to 911 Frequently Asked Questions, Hawaii Department of Accounting and General Services. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  33. ^ Annual Collection of Information Related to the Collection and Use of 911 and E911 Fees by States and Other Jurisdictions: Idaho, Federal Communications Commission, 2021.
  34. ^ Randhawa, PJ, and Leigh Lesniak. "Text to 911 deadlines missed in Chicago, other Illinois areas", NBC 5 Chicago, 8 July 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  35. ^ Text-for-911, Indiana Statewide 911 Board. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  36. ^ "Text 911 now available in Iowa". www.kwqc.com. 10 October 2017. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  37. ^ Services, Kansas 911 Coordinating Council. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  38. ^ Smart911 and Emergency Dispatch Centers, Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  39. ^ Louisiana Consolidated Report on Statewide 9-1-1 Communications Activity. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  40. ^ "Text-to-911 Now Available Throughout Maine". www.govtech.com. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
  41. ^ [https://odhh.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2020/08/MD-Text-to-911-FAQ-v1.pdf STATE OF MARYLAND TEXT-TO-911 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS], Maryland Governor's Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  42. ^ Text-to-911 Is Available in Massachusetts, Massachusetts State 911 Department. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  43. ^ State of Michigan State 911 Plan, 14 June 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  44. ^ "Text-to-911 Available Statewide in Minnesota". www.govtech.com. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  45. ^ Annual Collection of Information Related to the Collection and Use of 911 and E911 Fees by States and Other Jurisdictions: Mississippi, Federal Communications Commission, 2021.
  46. ^ Text-to-911, Missouri 911 Service Board. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  47. ^ Text to 911 Jurisdictions in MT, State of Montana 9-1-1 Program. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  48. ^ NG911 Information & 911 Service System Advisory Committee: Text to 911 Implementation Map, Nebraska Public Service Commission. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  49. ^ Annual Collection of Information Related to the Collection and Use of 911 and E911 Fees by States and Other Jurisdictions: Nevada, Federal Communications Commission, 2021.
  50. ^ Press release, nh.gov Archived 2021-11-03 at the Wayback Machine
  51. ^ Text to 9-1-1, New Jersey Office of Information Technology Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  52. ^ Annual Collection of Information Related to the Collection and Use of 911 and E911 Fees by States and Other Jurisdictions: New Mexico, Federal Communications Commission, 2021.
  53. ^ Annual Collection of Information Related to the Collection and Use of 911 and E911 Fees by States and Other Jurisdictions: New Mexico, Federal Communications Commission, 2021.
  54. ^ "North Carolina Completes Yearslong Transition to NG911", govtech.com, 4 April 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  55. ^ "North Dakota Launches Local Solution for Statewide Next-Gen 911". 31 October 2014.
  56. ^ Text-to-911 Map, Ohio 9-1-1 Program Office, Ohio Department of Administrative Services. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  57. ^ Annual Collection of Information Related to the Collection and Use of 911 and E911 Fees by States and Other Jurisdictions: Oklahoma, Federal Communications Commission, 2021.
  58. ^ Text to 9-1-1, State 9-1-1 Program, Oregon Department of Emergency Management. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  59. ^ Text-to-911, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  60. ^ Annual Collection of Information Related to the Collection and Use of 911 and E911 Fees by States and Other Jurisdictions: Puerto Rico, Federal Communications Commission, 2021.
  61. ^ Text-to-911 Now Available in Rhode Island, Rhode Island E-911. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  62. ^ Annual Collection of Information Related to the Collection and Use of 911 and E911 Fees by States and Other Jurisdictions: Puerto Rico, Federal Communications Commission, 2021.
  63. ^ "South Dakota now offers 'text to 911'". 22 March 2021.
  64. ^ Text-to-911 Materials, Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  65. ^ Text to 9-1-1 FAQs, Texas Commission on State Emergency Communications. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  66. ^ Text to 911, Utah Communications Authority. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  67. ^ Text-to-911, State of Vermont Enhanced 911 Board. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  68. ^ Virginia Text to 9-1-1 Deployment, Virginia Geographic Information Network. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  69. ^ Texting911, Emergency Management Division, Washington State Military Department. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  70. ^ Annual Collection of Information Related to the Collection and Use of 911 and E911 Fees by States and Other Jurisdictions: West Virginia, Federal Communications Commission, 2021.
  71. ^ Annual Collection of Information Related to the Collection and Use of 911 and E911 Fees by States and Other Jurisdictions: Wisconsin, Federal Communications Commission, 2021.
  72. ^ Next Generation 911 (NG911), Public Safety Communications Commission, Wyoming Department of Transportation. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
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