[Durham INC] Durham 911 Texting Continues for Verizon Wireless Customers

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

News Media Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov 

http://Facebook.com/CityofDurhamNC 

http://Twitter.com/CityofDurhamNC    

 

For Immediate Release: August 6, 2012

 

 

Durham 911 Center Texting Option to Continue for Verizon Wireless
Customers 

 

DURHAM, N.C. - After a year-long trial period to gauge the effectiveness
of the new "text-to-911" technology, the Durham Emergency Communications
Center and Verizon Wireless will continue to offer this technology for
emergency help to Verizon Wireless customers. 

 

Since August 2011, Durham residents and visitors who are also Verizon
Wireless customers have been able to send a text message to 911 as part
of a trial to test the potential of this new technology. After reviewing
the trial data, the Center and Verizon will continue to accept emergency
text messages.

 

According to James Soukup, director of the Durham Emergency
Communications Center, this texting technology is still specifically
designed for two types of emergency scenarios - to help potential
victims who don't want to be heard making a 911 voice call as well as
for deaf or hard-of-hearing residents who may be unable to speak to a
telecommunicator. 

 

According to Soukup, since the "text-to-911" technology will continue,
there are several parameters that users should remain aware of before
sending an emergency text message to 911. "There can be limitations to
sending a text message and we want Verizon Wireless customers to keep
these in mind if they send a text message for emergency help," Soukup
said.

 

*         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, N.C. 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 plan or be charged at 20 cents each.   

*         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 Google Play
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 by calling its
non-emergency line at (919) 560-4600.

 

The "text-to-911" technology 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
enables text messaging between the Center and Verizon Wireless
customers.

 

The Durham Emergency Communication Center remains the first 911 center
in North Carolina, as well as the one of the first 911 centers in the
United States, to enable "text-to-911" technology using 911 digits and
live-call takers. 

 

To learn more about the Durham Emergency Communications Center, contact
Soukup at (919) 560-4191, by email at James.Soukup at DurhamNC.gov, or
"like" at http://www.Facebook.com/Durham911.  

 

About the 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 two centers in the world to hold these three
accreditations simultaneously. To learn more, visit 
http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/op/911/Pages/Home.aspx or 
http://www.Facebook.com/Durham911.

 

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