# Iowa 911 call center accepting text messages



## flhtci01 (Aug 5, 2009)

*Iowa 911 center is first to accept text messages*

An emergency call center in the basement of the county jail in Waterloo, Iowa, became the first in the country to accept text messages sent to "911," starting Wednesday.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32303244/ns/tech_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/


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## Lifeguards For Life (Aug 5, 2009)

I hope people have not been trying to text 911? I don't see SMS as an effective way to communicate a medical emergency to a call center. I guess there maybe some LE related scenarios that may benefit from the silence of a text message. never been much of a texter myself


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## medichopeful (Aug 5, 2009)

I wonder how many "prank" text messages they will get.  Something to consider.


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## Meursault (Aug 5, 2009)

medichopeful said:


> I wonder how many "prank" text messages they will get.  Something to consider.



Not many more than prank 911 calls. Well, at least once the online services that allow you to send texts block "911".


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## WuLabsWuTecH (Aug 5, 2009)

I can see when it would be useful (hostage situation/barricade situation) but talking is a lot faster.  Granted if I lived in an area with 911 text that had GPS capibilities, I would have a text set up "Lives in danger.  Please send help NOW! CB# 555-555-5555" and attach my GPS coordinates set up and ready to go so I only had to pull up the message and hit send should the need ever arise.

Kind of like the "Oh S***" button on the radio.


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## Hockey (Aug 5, 2009)

They aren't the first to have this.  There was a few 911 centers that allow picture messaging for whatever reason.


Interesting concept 


Drunk texting to a whole new level


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## WuLabsWuTecH (Aug 5, 2009)

Hockey said:


> They aren't the first to have this.  There was a few 911 centers that allow picture messaging for whatever reason.
> 
> 
> Interesting concept
> ...


Well duh!  Now you don't have to bring the bodily discharges in to show the nurses!


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## reaper (Aug 5, 2009)

In rural areas, you may have enough signal to send a text, but not make a phone call. Mine will send texts in the mountains, but never get a call out. That would be the only benefit to it!


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## Summit (Aug 6, 2009)

reaper said:


> In rural areas, you may have enough signal to send a text, but not make a phone call. Mine will send texts in the mountains, but never get a call out. That would be the only benefit to it!



x1000000 it could be a very good thing, especially if phone manufacturers made it automatically attach GPS coordinates to SMS messages addressed to 911... in fact if you did that, you could have a nationally receiving 911 txt center and it could automatically route the message based on the coordinates instead of having to do more detailed routing in the system


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## WuLabsWuTecH (Aug 6, 2009)

What?  Different parts of the country working together?  What a novel idea!


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## DawnParr (Aug 6, 2009)

i think it's a great idea!


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