Can we text 911?

NINJABABY · #1 10-03-2019, 08:44 AM

What if you can talk to 911, can we text them?

buckbrush · #2 10-03-2019, 08:56 AM

That is actually a good question. Also, sometimes I find myself in areas for work where I can only text but if I try to call it’s dropped right away.

scesfiremedic · #3 10-03-2019, 09:02 AM

From textwith911.ca

Can anyone initiate text messaging with a 9-1-1 call centre by sending a text message directly to the digits “9-1-1?”

No. Text messages sent directly to the digits “9-1-1” do not reach emergency services anywhere in Canada. Messages texted to 9-1-1 will receive an automatic reply advising the user to call 9-1-1 for emergency services. “Text to 9-1-1” for the public-at-large may be available in the future as the nationwide 9-1-1 infrastructure evolves.

CaberTosser · #4 10-03-2019, 09:05 AM

Interesting question. I would imagine they must have some measures in place to serve those with handicaps such as being deaf/mute. I recall once having to communicate with an older female client who was stone deaf by using written notes, I guess lip reading wasn’t her thing. She was a regular client, when she called us it was through a relay service that would read us what she was typing and type our reply for her to read in whatever they called that machine. I’m sure they’ve got better tech for that these days, and people could accomplish most with an iPad anyways.

Big Bull · #5 10-03-2019, 09:16 AM

It is available, but not all 9-1-1 dispatch centres have the ability yet.

Dmay · #6 10-03-2019, 12:47 PM

Just try it and see........nope.

fordtruckin · #7 10-03-2019, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Bull

It is available, but not all 9-1-1 dispatch centres have the ability yet.

Yep. More and more are going to it but it takes time and money. Not sure if the center my wife works at had the capability yet but they’ve been talking about it for the past 10 months or so.

CaberTosser · #8 10-04-2019, 07:50 AM

I just thought about the translation issues for what some consider to be the English language through their text abbreviations. The mind boggles....

58thecat · #9 10-04-2019, 08:54 AM

Tried it and got pizza 73.....so I ordered a large fully loaded meat sweaters delight!

fordtruckin · #10 10-04-2019, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Tried it and got pizza 73.....so I ordered a large fully loaded meat sweaters delight!

I like how you think!!!

Redneck 7 · #11 10-04-2019, 11:19 PM

I think that’s a great idea, what if the person is in a situation and can text but can’t call. Hostage, kidnapping, etc. Think about domestic violence phone calls where the victim calls the police trying to order a pizza and then they have to talk in pizza code to get the police over there.

daveyn · #12 10-06-2019, 09:33 AM

I know you don't actually have to talk to 911. you just call and if you don't say anything they send the cops. Even if you call and hang up, they send the cops. I would think opening up texting would just create a whole new batch of stupid requests to the 911 line. Those guys deal with enough stupidness as it is

Crankbait · #13 10-06-2019, 09:16 PM

before it was later called twitter, it was originally an emergency and/or notification app, then it became that thing.

during a hurricane a few years back, emergency responders had to ask people to refrain from tweeting "God Bless You" to people tweeting that they were in peril, as emergency people had to scroll through thousands of these tweets to find rescue needed tweets.