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

Wed Jan 25 09:44:31 EST 2012

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:  January 25, 2012

Durham 911 Center Extends Texting Trial for Emergency Help

Trial Period Extended to April 30th for Verizon Wireless Customers 

DURHAM, N.C. - In order to continue to gauge the effectiveness of the
new "text-to-911" technology, the Durham Emergency Communications Center
and Verizon Wireless are extending the trial period beyond the January
31st deadline to now end on April 30, 2012. 

In August 2011, Durham residents and visitors who were also Verizon
Wireless customers could send a text message to 911 for emergency help
as part of a trial to test the potential of permanently offering this
new technology. In order to have more data to determine whether this
technology will be offered beyond the trial period, the Center will now
accept emergency texts until the end of April.

According to James Soukup, director of the Durham Emergency
Communications Center, this texting trial is still specifically designed
for two types of emergency scenarios. "When asked to participate in this
trial, we went into it as an opportunity to help potential victims who
can't afford for someone to hear them make a 911 voice call as well as
for deaf or hard of hearing residents who may be unable to speak to a
telecommunicator," Soukup said. 

Since the "text-to-911" is still a trial program, Soukup reiterated 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 that's why we
are extending the trial period by three months so we can test and
evaluate all of the aspects of this technology before any potential
widespread use," 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 before 'text-to-911' technology could be
implemented on a widespread level." 

According to Jan Withers, director of the Division of Services for the
Deaf and the Hard of Hearing with the N.C. Department of Health and
Human Services, this type of service is an excellent option for
residents who may have no other way to communicate during an emergency.
"Many deaf and hard of hearing people rely on text as their sole means
of communication and therefore currently have limited means of
contacting 911 call centers for emergencies," Withers said. "A national
survey of people with disabilities found that 80 percent of the
respondents would prefer to contact 911 using text. Given these facts,
the significance of Durham's text-to-911 trial program cannot be
overstated. The Durham Emergency Communications Center, Verizon, and
Intrado are to be applauded for giving priority to the safety of
Durham's estimated 28,000 deaf and hard of hearing people."

Verizon Wireless customers in Durham should keep the following in mind
if they send a text to 911 during the extended 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.

The trial test is part of a collaboration between the City of Durham,
Verizon Wireless, and Intrado. Intrado, which is an emergency
communications technology provider, installed next-generation 911
software at the Durham Emergency Communications Center in 2011, which
now enables text messaging between the center and Verizon Wireless
customers.

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 extended trial
period is still at no cost to the Durham Emergency Communications
Center.

For more information about the "text-to-911" extended trial, visit the
City's website at http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/op/911/Pages/Home.aspx or
contact Soukup by phone at (919) 560-4191 or by email at 
James.Soukup at DurhamNC.gov. 

About Durham Emergency Communications Center 

The Durham Emergency Communications Center is the primary public safety
answering point for the City and County of Durham. Guided by the City's
Strategic Plan, the Center helps to ensure that Durham is a safe and
secure community by providing around-the-clock 911 access and services
to the residents and user agencies in and around Durham County. Services
include, but are not limited to, emergency and non-emergency requests
for assistance; dispatch of police, fire, and emergency medical
services; other city/county support agencies; and other duties as
required. The geographic service area encompasses 296 square miles with
approximately 250,000 residents. The 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 
http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/op/911/Pages/Home.aspx.  

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