Iowa 911 call center now accepting texts; Twitter and Facebook status updates can't be far behind
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted August 6th 2009 7:07PM
posted August 6th 2009 7:07PM
As of this week, callers can now text their requests for fire, police, or ambulance, to the emergency call center in Black Hawk County, Iowa -- both a nationwide first and a definite improvement for deaf and hard-of-hearing residents who have thus far had to rely on TDD devices. Unlike voice calls, however, the 911 operator can't get your location from a text message, meaning that the caller must first respond to a request for their city or zip code before the call gets routed. Currently, only i wireless subscribers (a local carrier affiliated with T-Mobile) can use the service, but plans are afoot to bring other carriers on board as well. Other future upgrades include the ability to accept video and picture messages. All the operators ask is that you refrain from sending them those silly chain text messages -- that sort of thing can be really distracting when you're busy saving lives.
hlp! ive fln n i cnt gt up! plz snd hlp 2 1447 e mlbry ln!
Time it takes to call 911 - 30 seconds.
Time it takes to send garbled text - 2 minutes.
Although this could be a stealthy way of calling for help if the situation calls for it.
Time it takes garbled text message to go through the carrier - unknown.
Haven't I read of...literally...HOURS from "send" to "receive"?
Oh yeah. I forgot we all use 10 button keypads..
Deaf and hard of hearing won't send like that kind message, we usually have most mobile phone with full QWERTY to typing well basic English than rather SMS language.
Did you type that from your iPhones keyboard?
Ya this might be beneficial not only to the deaf and the heard of hearing. It might also help mutes.
Just don't forget the number to send that text to:
0118999881999119725...3
@Cmmndr312: Nice "The It Crowd" reference. :)
since when do we let IOWA technologically innovate our country in any capacity?
agreed. im surprise this isn't already implemented nation wide. texting has been popular and widely used for years now and if im in trouble i should be able to text 911. hopefully this spreads nation wide. question, do you have to pay for 911 texts?
Because while California is busy spending all of it's money on global warming and California is busy shipping it's homeless to Florida, Iowa is using it's tax dollars to HELP & PROTECT it's citizens... The Iowa government is doing it's job!
Iowa rules... we invented the worlds first digital computer... the Atanasoff–Berry Computer.
Also one of the best education systems in the nation...
and sweet sweet pork chops... Mmmmm, pork.....
@ murmermer: Why would CA waste time getting rid of the homeless? Someone would just rig a tour bus with speakers, sing a modified version of "California Love", and the homeless will follow the bus back to Cali lol
@ Dorf: Don't forget Slipknot!!!
As a Hawkeye, this brings a single tear to my eye.
But all bias aside, a pretty neat idea if it gets rolled out on a mass scale. I haven't figured it out, but i wireless is a huge player here, even having a big arena in the Quad Cities (~400,000 population) named after them. I never thought an affiliate would get that big...
Actually Maryland (a United State) has the best public school education, according to a study recently. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/07/AR2009010702347.html)
I like how I downloaded a calculus solving program for my Ti-83/84+ off the internet and it said it was written by a UMD student.
I like how I can invest in NVAX to make money off of the swine flu fear mongering, and they are located in Rockville, MD
Also, crabs (a crustacean) taste good and Maryland is known for them.
^^Maryland fanboy alert! ^^ /s
You might want to adjust the levels on that PS.
I call shenanigans on the pic, his finger is no where near the period.
How about an iPhone app that automatically pre-enters your location coordinates and the number 911. Enter your message and send. Easy.
Patented just now, thanks.
OMG IM BEING KILLED
"I M BEING ROBBED TTYL!!!"
OMG. Joseph, has your kitten been rescued? :/
Damn, who's finger's are that big?!?!?!? That guy must be a fatty.......
Iowa... We invented high fructose corn syrup.
I'M DYING LOL
Perez Hilton is now rejoicing.
I can't believe you guys passed on "I've fallen and I can't get up" for your graphic. Lost opportunity...for shame.
No thanks.
I see the humor and the possibility of pranks from 'happy' individuals but I also see the benefit. In this day and age it is shameful if we do not use all the technology available to our advantage.
Well, the pranksters should get their fair share when they get charged with abusing 911 after a simple trace of their phone number, or IP address if they sent the SMS from a carrier webpage.
Will they also extend this ability to 0118 999 881 999 119 725 3 ?
HAHA! I just started watching that on Netflix.. Funny stuff.
I'm so glad to see someone made an I.T. Crowd reference. Classic.
LOL, nice IT crowd reference.
I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but two concerns jump to mind.
1. There's no interaction. Dispatchers are trained to gather information from the caller. Are they going to text back in forth so the caller can answer questions? Seems ineffective. Too many emergency personnel are going to go into situations without enough information. It's dangerous.
2. Highly prone to pranksters. Whey they put text spamming techniques to use, imagine the flood.
I was actually wondering when this would happen. Think of if you were in a situation where you would be in more danger to alert someone of your presence just by speaking. Who cares if people prank text as long as it helps people who need it.
hey come help me some one just cut off both of my cands i cant do anything
with this stupid text feature the criminal types .
why the hell would i text 911
i can call and just not say anything if im being robbed or have a gun pointed at my head
well sence the gov already listens to my phone calls why dont they just hit me up when
they here someone say im gonna kill you or something like that
cheers
Reminds me of this - http://www.theonion.com/content/video/police_slog_through_40_000
Should i be proud or embarrassed live in blackhawk?
The answer is proud.Go Hawks!
Will I Am from the Black Eyed Peas is kiccking my ass. Send help
-Armando sevedra aka Perez Hilton.
What a horrible, horrible idea.
Yeah because texting is soooo much faster than talking. When in a dire, emergency situation I would much rather text than talk. The ONLY way I could see this being useful is if you were at a concert or something where people can't hear you when you talk and the person next to you is having a heart attack or something - but even then, there's lots of help around so this is still stupid.
Why are people bitching about a service that can save someones life?
You people are sick.
Because..think about it. The amount of money spent to implement a TEXT messaging service could have been better spent to better refine the system as it is or maybe to work on locating call phone calls? How long does it take to send/receive texts vs talking on a phone. If you want to argue saving someones life, well then doing it via slow text messages is not the way to do it.
You are all making the assumption that somebody answers your 911 call. Not everyone's 911 service is great, we have all heard horror stories of being put on hold for extended time periods. During a local emergency, the 911 service are flooded and callers can't get through. This provides them with a chance that somebody will "hear" their call for help, and that a high priority call won't get drowned in the sea of low-priority calls.
That is where text messaging rules. It can be much faster and more precise to communicate via text instead of voice. One 911 operator can easily handle dozens of text messages in the same time it would take him to field one voice call. The advantages are more on the 911 call service side than on the sender's side.
They should also extend this type of service to all the IM programs on computers and PDAs.
WTF HOF SHQ -NAAFT OMG
What the F*#@^ House On FIre Send Help Quick Need Ambulance and Fire Truck Oh My God
Hey, I live in Black Hawk County, Iowa. Cool!
I'm sorry for your loss