So far, text-to-911 messages not as cryptic as feared, panelists say
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So far, text-to-911 messages not as cryptic as feared, panelists say
The Federal Communications Commission has approved the rules for it. The four major wireless carriers already support it. The manufacturers are fine-tuning the technologies to enable it.
But, when more public-safety answering points (PSAPs) start accepting text-to-911 calls, will call-takers be able to understand the content of the messages?
A commonly stated concern about text-to-911 service is that the messages will be so packed with text abbreviations that they will be rendered unintelligible to call-takers in PSAPs.
But many of the text messages, including ones crafted by teenagers, haven’t been as indecipherable as feared, says Bob Gojanovich, next-generation 911 sales director for TeleCommunication Systems (TCS).
Gojanovich attributes that to the autocorrect function on smartphones—not because the feature forces people into using better spelling and grammar, but because autocorrect has proven too annoying to resist.
“People have wrestled with autocorrect because it changes the word that you started to type in. If you go in and start typing ‘My BFF is OMG,’ it does amazing things with it,” Gojanovich said during a session at APCO 2014 in New Orleans.
“The trend has been to stop using those abbreviations entirely, and kids are texting in plain English language, because it’s easier than fighting with the autocorrect function and their message gets through faster.”
It’s unclear what the collective experience for early adopters has been so far with text messages received from teenagers—and others who regularly use text abbreviations in regular conversation—when texting 911. One APCO attendee commented that his experiences texting with his son and nephew have left him believing that the younger generation’s language for texting actually has deteriorated further.
John Rennie of NICE Systems, who was also on the panel, noted that, while the text abbreviations and other creative spellings used for texting represent a challenge for PSAPs, they’re also just a part of the evolution of language.
For many of the PSAPs that have already started providing the service, this is an issue they have tried to address through public-education campaigns.
“Text abbreviations or slang should never be used so that the intent of the dialogue can be as clear as possible,” the city of Rochester, N.Y., says on its website.
Interestingly, an incident in Chicago last January may be an indication that teens know when to use the abbreviations and when to use plain English.
Last January, a 15-year-old helped stop a robbery when he texted his father this message while locked in a café bathroom with his mom and sister: “Don’t come, robber in here, call 911.” The dad, who had walked down the street, said in news reports at the time that he knew his son was serious because he wasn’t using “that teenage abbreviated approach to texting.”
Another text-to-911 fear that hasn’t materialized is that PSAPs would be overwhelmed with text messages once the service was available, according to Gojanovich and David Hopkins, director of the Steuben County, N.Y., 911.
Of course, the lack of a
Of course, the lack of a “flood” of text messages to 9-1-1 could also mean the service is much less valuable than indicated by the hype and urgency generated by politicians (Congress) and regulators (FCC). Hearing-impaired 911 users aside, how many incidents a month will actually be expedited by this text-to-911 service when it’s adopted by each individual agency?
The only thing it has allowed
The only thing it has allowed is kids to swat eachother anonymously
There are several concerns
There are several concerns about how this technology is still to loose to apply against the standards of current E911 dispatch centers. It is not adversion to something new, it is knowing how difficult it is to provide the highest standards possible to ensure that all calls for assistance are handled properly. While smaller PSAP locations may be able to begin to digest this mode at this time, it gets a lot more complicated when you have multiple PSAP’s in a region, and secondary PSAP’s that they have to transfer to. There is a huge variance in CAD / end user equipment, and call handling procedures for text is not yet or well defined. At one time, 911 was a number that could have been easily enabled by the phone companies, but the police and fire departments were not ready, did not have capable equipment, funding etc. to handle it. This new mode is the same thing. A new capability is being enabled by the telecom providers, but there has not been serious review and planning with the public safety agencies on how to design the network, the procedures, and how to provide fair and effective services to the public. Public Safety agencies and organizations need to push back a little harder to help make sure standards of care are not being comprimised before taking on a potential great new service.