[Durham INC] Durham 911 Center Launches Texting Trial for Emergency Help

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov

 

 

 

 

For Immediate Release:  August 3, 2011

 

 

 

Durham 911 Center Launches Texting Trial for Emergency Help

Durham the First in North Carolina and Second in the U.S. to Use
"Text-to-911" Technology; 

Six-Month Trial Period for Verizon Wireless Customers Only

 

DURHAM, N.C. - Beginning today, Durham residents and visitors who are
also Verizon Wireless customers can send a text message to 911 for
emergency help as part of a six-month trial to test the potential of
offering this new technology.

 

>From now until January 31, 2012, the Durham Emergency Communications
Center will accept 911 text messages from Verizon Wireless customers as
part of a collaboration between the City of Durham, Verizon Wireless,
and Intrado. Intrado, which is an emergency communications technology
provider, has recently installed next-generation 911 software that
enables text messaging in the Durham Emergency Communications Center. 

 

The Durham Emergency Communication Center is the first 911 center in
North Carolina, as well as the second 911 center in the United States,
to enable "text-to-911" technology using 911 digits and live call
takers. The first and only other 911 center using Intrado's technology
is Black Hawk County, Iowa. The "text-to-911" software trial period is
at no cost to the Durham Emergency Communications Center.

 

According to James Soukup, director of the Durham Emergency
Communications Center, this texting trial is specifically designed for
two types of emergency scenarios. "The way people communicate is
evolving and 911 centers across the nation are evaluating how to adapt
to the digital age we're currently living in and offer multiple ways for
people to reach out to 911 when they need help," Soukup said. "When
asked to participate in this trial, we went into it as an opportunity to
help folks who are hearing impaired and potential victims who can't
afford for someone to hear them make a 911 voice call." 

 

Since the "text-to-911" is a trial program, Soukup explained that there
are several parameters that users should be aware of before sending an
emergency text message to 911. "At times, there can be limitations to
sending an emergency text message and we want to test and evaluate all
of the aspects of 'text-to-911' technology before any potential
widespread implementation," Soukup said. "We understand the interest and
potential value of this technology, but given the needs of public
safety, it is imperative that we thoroughly examine all scenarios during
the trial period to see if this type of technology works and if any
problems arise that must be corrected by Intrado before Verizon Wireless
and other service providers work with public safety agencies to
implement 'text-to-911' on a widespread level." 

 

According to Craig Frost, executive director of Network with Verizon
Wireless, the work with the Durham Emergency Communications Center and
Intrado will allow them to evaluate the potential of the "text-to-911"
system more broadly. "Verizon Wireless has been at the forefront of 911
public safety innovation. We are participating in this trial to evaluate
the possibilities of 911 texting systems with an emphasis on reliable
and secure emergency communications for our customers," Frost said.
"Armed with the knowledge obtained from the trial in Durham, we hope to
better understand the challenges of 'text-to-911' technology and
determine if it's something that we can provide for our customers in
Durham and elsewhere."

 

Verizon Wireless customers in Durham should keep the following in mind
if they send a text to 911 during the trial period: 

*         Customers should use the texting option only when calling 911
is not an option. 

 

*         It can take longer to receive a text message because someone
must enter the text, the message then goes through the system, and the
911 telecommunicator must read the text and then text back. Picking up
the phone and calling 911 is still the most efficient way to reach
emergency help. Texting is not always instantaneous, which is critical
during a life-threatening emergency. 

 

*         Providing location information and nature of the emergency in
the first text message is imperative since the Durham Emergency
Communications Center will not be able to access the cell phone location
or speak with the person who is sending the text. Text abbreviations or
slang should never be used so that the intent of the dialogue can be as
clear as possible. 

 

*         Customers must be in range of cell towers in the Durham County
area. If customers are outside or near the edge of the county, the
message may not reach the Durham Emergency Communications Center.

 

*         Texts sent to 911 have the same 160 character limit as other
text messages.

 

*         Verizon Wireless customers must have mobile phones that are
capable of sending text messages. Any text message to 911 will count
either against their messaging bundle or be charged at 20 cents each.   

 

*         At this point in the trial period, the messaging software
pre-loaded onto the Droid from Motorola (original version) does not
format text messages correctly when the digits "911" are entered as the
"To" address. Installing the free "Verizon Messages" application for
Droids (version 1.3.24a) from the Android Market fixes this issue.

 

*         The texting function should only be used for emergency
situations that require an immediate response from police, fire or
emergency medical services. Non-emergency issues should still be
communicated to the Durham Emergency Communication Center through its
non-emergency line at (919) 560-4600.

 

According to Soukup, the recent installation of Intrado's
next-generation 911 technology is providing the Durham Emergency
Communication Center with the building blocks necessary to the support
additional services beyond text messaging, such as receiving cell phone
pictures and video clips as well as advanced address intelligence. "We
are the first center in North Carolina, and one of a relatively small
number in the United States, to have next-generation 911 technology. Our
center is now taking a giant step toward having capabilities that we've
never had before. We are also working toward being able to accept cell
phone images submitted by callers, which in turn can be used by our
police or fire departments to see the scene before they even arrive,"
Soukup said. "At the end of the day, we're going to be able to provide
faster and better service, not only to our residents and visitors, but
to our emergency response departments as well. This text messaging trial
is just the beginning of our efforts to help fulfill our Strategic
Plan's goal of being a safe and secure community."

 

The next-generation 911 technology upgrade, approved by City Council in
September 2009, cost $103,500 and was funded by the 911 Surcharge
Revenue Fund.

 

For more information about the "text-to-911" trial, visit the City's
website at www.DurhamNC.gov/Departments/911; watch the latest episode of
"CityLife" on DTV8 (Time Warner Cable channel 8) or on demand at 
www.DurhamNC.gov/DTV8/CityLife.cfm ; or contact Soukup at (919) 560-4191
or by e-mail at James.Soukup at DurhamNC.gov. 

 

About the Durham Emergency Communications Center 

The Durham Emergency Communications Center is dedicated to promoting,
preserving, and protecting the safety and security of all residents and
visitors in Durham. The center provides 24-hour, seven-day-a-week 911
access to residents, visitors, and user agencies in and around Durham
County. Services include emergency and non-emergency requests as well as
dispatch for police, fire, EMS, and other City/County support agencies.
The Durham Emergency Communications Center has earned the
internationally recognized APCO Project 33 Certification from the
Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International,
Inc., Emergency Medical Dispatch Accreditation by the National Academy
of Emergency Medical Dispatch, and accreditation by the Commission for
Accreditation of Law Enforcement  Agencies. The center was the first,
and currently, one of only three centers in the world to hold these
three accreditations simultaneously. To learn more, visit 
www.DurhamNC.gov/Departments/911. 

 

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's fastest, most advanced 4G network
and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 106.3 million
total wireless connections, including 89.7 million retail customers.
Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 83,000 employees nationwide,
Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE,
NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit
www.VerizonWireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video
footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log
on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at 
www.VerizonWireless.com/Multimedia. 

 

About Intrado

In business for more than 30 years, Intrado, a subsidiary of West
Corporation, has maintained a focus and passion for saving lives and
supporting the needs of public safety. Agencies and telecommunication
services providers throughout the world depend on Intrado for emergency
communication services and technology. Intrado's dedicated focus on
emergency communications technology allows the company to continue
pioneering network innovations that improve emergency response. For more
information, visit www.Intrado.com.

 

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