Don't want to call 911, but still want to get police or medical assistance? Now you can by sending a text message to 911 that phone companies will now transfer to the police and fire departments for better assistance. While the move is being seen as a step into integrating new means of communications, many believe that it will do little to change the status quo on contacting emergency services.
Even police have been reported as saying they are not properly prepared for delving into text messages in a timely fashion to deliver the best response possible. The idea, while in its infancy, could be especially beneficial for those who are having trouble speaking and can still get their message to the authorities to receive help.
Most online tech media sites are praising the idea, saying it is a "good thing" for citizens to have multiple options to contact [pdf] emergency services through their phones. Text messaging, it seems, is the future for all things as people shy away from using voice calls for their daily needs.
With some six billion text messages being delivered on a daily basis over the past few years, being able to text to the police is seen as a logical transition in the current tech trend. However, police, the FCC and others warn users that calling 911 still should trump a text message when the situation is dire.
Although the four largest carriers in the United States, including AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile will redirect messages to police, the companies were clear that local police stations would determine if they have the ability to follow up on the incident, and the local stations will be the ones to decide if they will use the Text-to-911 service.
It could take many stations across the country some time before they are fully integrated in using text messages to respond to emergencies.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says on its website that the aim is to assist the deaf, hard of hearing or those with difficulties speaking to have better contact with police and emergency services, where a phone call is nearly impossible.
The FCC still makes it clear that calling should be the top priority for any user who is able to do so.
"In the future, text-to-911 will be widely available in the United States. However, for now, the ability to contact 911 using text is only available on a limited basis in a few markets. For this reason, you should not rely on text to reach 911," the FCC says.
