FCC To Allow Texting To 911

tekgoblin writes "The FCC is looking into allowing people to report incidents to 911 via SMS from their mobile phones. They are also considering mobile video to show the 911 service what is going on. The current 911 system handles around 230 million calls per year with most of the calls being from mobile phones. One situation influenced this move to allow texting to 911 was the Virginia Tech shooting. 'The technological limitations of 9-1-1 can have tragic, real-world consequences,' the release said. 'During the 2007 Virginia Tech campus shooting, students and witnesses desperately tried to send texts to 9-1-1 that local dispatchers never received. If these messages had gone through, first responders may have arrived on the scene faster with firsthand intelligence about the life-threatening situation that was unfolding.'"

Comments

What the hell

[Arancaytar]

Without interacting with the dispatcher, you can't be sure that you've provided the necessary info. Talking is faster than typing, even for a T9 wizard. Is there any reason why you should text a 911 responder instead of just calling them?

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

I can only think of one situation: if you are hiding from an attacker. (Remember to mute your phone, kids!)

Re:What the hell

[Zironic]

Texting is a lot more silent if a criminal is nearby and might hear you, also a lot of people are idiots.

Re:What the hell

[DrgnDancer]

For precisely the reason in the summary. If you're inside on a bank robbery or other hostage type situation you can send a text in near complete silence. Talking to a dispatcher will make noise and potentially give away your position (and the fact that you're in contact with the outside). It's a limited use case, but happens often enough to justify the relatively small expense I would think.

Re:What the hell

[jra]

Yeah, only if you're hunkered down behind a desk, hoping the gunman won't notice you used Old Spice when you showered this morning.

Oh, and don't forget to turn your ringer off...

This will fail on false alarms, just as would the slightly more intelligent "provide a mobile-friendly webpage" idea. Also no way to tag the GPS location on it.

Re:What the hell

[Doc Ruby]

The necessary info is almost always "I need the cops at location X". Usually just the call itself, which carries location info (E911 from mobiles), is sufficient. But sometimes telling the cops that the emergency is armed, perhaps heavily, the number of people, or some other details, can help the first responders arrive better prepared to cope with the situation more quickly, safely and effectively. But it's also common for people in the emergency not to be able to talk, lest they tip off the people causing the emergency.

Re:What the hell

[commodore64_love]

If the dispatcher needs more info, they can always text back.

Besides with cellphone GPS, it pretty much provides everything that might be needed. "I'm being held hostage by a shooter at UVA!" plus the GPS will tell the dispatcher where to send police. IMHO it makes logical sense to tap the new techniques that texting and built-in cameras provide.

Re:What the hell

[pla]

Is there any reason why you should text a 911 responder instead of just calling them?

Oh, I dunno, perhaps because you don't want the guy with a gun across the hall to hear you calling the police, as per TFA? Because your steering wheel has crushed your larynx and you can't talk? Or hell, just because you don't want to give 27 forms of ID before they'll even listen to your problem (I personally love that one - God forbid anyone actually use 911 for a real emergency, you'd die before the operator stops asking for details like your college roommate's pet chinchilla's name)?

I agree that 99.9% of the time, you should just call instead of texting. But if that 0.1% makes a difference, why not allow it?

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

Ok, so college students actually thought that you can TEXT to 911? WTF.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

It's good for deaf people

Re:What the hell

[Spad]

The only reasonable case I can think of is if you need to stay silent while doing so.

Re:What the hell

[somersault]

Also no way to tag the GPS location on it.

Could have the Telecoms company provide a rough location though, so that at least they can get some officers into the general area ready to respond on any further info? Or maybe even a precise location if enough cell towers are around.

Re:What the hell

[gay358]

It is also good if you are deaf, mute, if there is so much noise that phone call wouldn't work, if radio signal is too poor for a call, if the telephone network is congested etc.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

What about deaf people? You know, the 16 million people who can't use a phone without texting?

Re:What the hell

[tverbeek]

The more relevant question is: Is there any reason why 911 dispatchers should be unable to receive (and seemingly ignore) text messages?

Sure, an interactive phone conversation is ideal, but the nature of emergencies is that they are not ideal situations. The caller may not be able to talk. The caller may lose consciousness. The caller may be incoherent. They may have to immediately hang up. Dispatchers take the alert - whatever it consists of - and act based on what information they have. If someone sends a text message to 911 instead of calling, why shouldn't they be equipped to receive it (and respond to it)?

Re:What the hell

[Lumpy]

also a lot of people are idiots.

You win the prize! Don Pardo; tell him what he won!

Re:What the hell

[L4t3r4lu5]

GPS only works outdoors.

Just saying that unless GPS was enabled when they walked indoors and stored the last good lock position, it'd be useless. They absolutely do need you to tell them where you are exactly, just in case.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

To be fair that might have been their only choice if they wanted to remain silent. So why not give it a try.

Whatever you "get off my lawn" types think, texting a real and valid form of widely used communication. Kids nowadays use it more than talking so using it for emergency services makes sense. They're already used to using it for everything else.

Re:What the hell

[Lumpy]

That is retarded.

Dial 911, simply do not SAY anything but do not hang up. cops will be on the way.

What moron thinks the 911 dispatcher will go "hello? hello? Nobody there, I'll hang up and ignore it....."

Re:What the hell

[MobyDisk]

They already do. Some years ago, the FCC mandated that all cell phones send location information when the phone dials 911. It is somewhat of a necessity anyway, since if I am in California but my billing address is in New York, you don't want the New York 911 dispatcher to get my call. There was an uproar over this ruling, because it doesn't prevent the from sending this location information when other calls are made.

Re:What the hell

[goldaryn]

If the dispatcher needs more info, they can always text back.

"bein hld hstg @ UVA 2 guy w smg"

"lol"

Re:What the hell

[lxs]

Plenty of reasons:

How about: "Im choking - snd amulance!"
Deaf-mutes can report fires...
What if you're in an extremely noisy environment and can't make yourself heard?

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

I would not have assumed the message would be dropped on the floor.

Re:What the hell

[heikkile]

Here in Denmark we were taught that if the coverage is bad, as it often is at sea, a text message is more likely to make it through. Same might be the case with low battery situations, and even if speaking aloud is not safe, as could be the case in some shooting and hijacking situations. In some situations the background noise may make voice communications unreliable, and some accidents may even disturb your ability to speak... Many reasons to allow the use of text messages.

Re:What the hell

[Chewbacon]

I've personally called 911 before and given them the short and sweet. Albeit, I'm a nurse and former fire fighter and know what to provide: "2 car MVC, Any Street and Bob Road, 3 passengers with injuries, one ejected. Send EMS." American Heart Association's CPR algorithms say when to call 911 when performing CPR without help (i.e. at home, the office, etc) and it's not always right away. Considering you have less than a 10% chance of surviving full cardiac arrest and lose 1.5% every minute without advanced cardiac intervention, every second counts. When every second counts, sending a text is much quicker than waiting on the phone to make a connection and ring through.

Re:What the hell

[dominious]

Is there any reason why you should text a 911 responder instead of just calling them?

yes.

Re:What the hell

[jonbryce]

Apparently there's far too many of those calls, and most of them are false alarms for that to be any use. Or at least that is the case in England where you call emergency services using the English number 999 or the EU number 112.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

That situation happens enough that it can be a serious problem. Several 911 dispatchers that I've talked to have said that they usually hang up if they hear nobody because it usually is a prank call. Kids are stupid and do just that, so dispatchers will do the same thing nowadays, at least around here they do...

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

Right, and not saying anything definitely tells the dispatcher you are on the 7th floor....

Re:What the hell

[faedle]

Um... "GPS" doesn't mean what you think it does in this context. To most consumers, "GPS" has come to mean any location-aware device, regardless of the methodology of geolocation.

Most cell phones, especially smart ones like Android and iOS based phones, are able to provide disturbingly precise fixes without using the satellite constellation. It is completely possible to get a reasonable fix from cell tower triangulation.

Even then, cell phone GPS chips have gotten pretty good at scraping the signal out of the noise. With assistance from the tower triangulation, it is possible to get a fairly precise fix with only one or two GPS satellites visible. Add to that a possible WiFi signal location, and you've got many ways to get a fix indoors good enough for 911.

So, yes, "GPS" does work indoors now.

Re:What the hell

[Rob the Bold]

Without interacting with the dispatcher, you can't be sure that you've provided the necessary info. Talking is faster than typing, even for a T9 wizard. Is there any reason why you should text a 911 responder instead of just calling them?

Could you be deaf? That wouldn't necessarily preclude carrying a cell phone these days.

Re:What the hell

[AndrewNeo]

This isn't how determining where your 911 call is routed works. The tower/phone exchange know where to forward you to for 911, the position data you pointed out is for 911, not for the phone company to tell you where 911 is.

Re:What the hell

[jonbryce]

Cell tower geolocation is always available. Your phone might also be able to use Wifi to locate itself, which can be more accurate, or completely inaccurate. My phone is accurate enough indoors to know whether it is at the top, middle or bottom end of my street.

Re:What the hell

[FatAlb3rt]

tri
angu
lation

Re:What the hell

[spiralpath]

Not all 911 services have the technology to locate where a cell phone is calling from.

Re:What the hell

[arivanov]

Welcome to the UK then.

The instructions to the dispatchers in cases like this used to be that they ignore you and hang up. This has thankfully recently changed as a result of a inquiry on a case where a girl was hijacked and called 999 (UK equivalent of 911) twice, got ignored twice and was raped and murdered. This has also happened more than once - 2003, 2004, 2007 are the well known cases which have made the national media.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/mobile/magazine/7748046.stm

However, IIRC even the new instructions which have been put in after this, still require the dispatcher to try to talk to you first which will make the phone speak and give away your position and the fact that you have dialed straight away (you really do not want your pants talking to you when you are looking down the barrel of a 9mm handgun). In addition to that nobody knows that you are not listened to and nobody knows that you are supposed to press a few numbers to indicate that you actually mean what you mean. And nobody knows the text number even if it is available in your area and it is not standardised internationally.

Compared vs that I would rather have texts to 112 (999/911 are handled by same call routing) anyday.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

Or if you speak only foreign languages, you could text the problem in Urdu and let the operator figure it out.

"Trapped in bathroom, gas leak, don't ring the bell!"

Re:What the hell

[RKenshin1]

Also, I found this tidbit out from working with our Sheriff's Office for the past 3 years.... Most of the time, a cell phone location can't be pinpointed. It does pinpoint on the mapping system, but it's a best guess based on triangulation between towers. Often, you have to assume it's within a square mile of where it shows on the mapping system. It may be a lot different in larger cities with a higher tower density, but that's been my experience with cell phone mapping. Definitely not what you see in the movies!

Re:What the hell

[peragrin]

um you do realise they can't track about 70% of the cell phones currently in use right.

triangulation takes time 10-15 minutes at a minimum. so unless your phone broadcasts e911 gps they don't know where you are. And even if you are broadcasting e911, that doesn't mean the 911 dispatcher you have connected to has similar abilities to receive it. The dispatcher won't hang up but can do nothing until someone tells them where they are. So no the cops won't be on their way until someone knows where to send them.

ultimately 911, operators should be able to receive and send phone calls, multimedia texts, GPS data from the phones, and have someone create a video phone standard and add that as well.

The more information one has the better. However most people don't realize just how little good information is actually told to 911.

Re:What the hell

[L4t3r4lu5]

Trilateration

Thanks for playing.

Re:What the hell

[L4t3r4lu5]

The Google-provided WiFi data is to be deleted, and trilateration by cell tower signal is nowhere near as accurate as many folks make out.

I wouldn't trust cell tower signal to guide me to a street in London, for instance, and that's exactly the kind of information a 911 responder would need.

Re:What the hell

[tverbeek]

Especially in a crisis situation, a college student whose friends all have SMS-enabled phones, and even their old-fashioned parents do, might not stop to consider that the people at 911 - who supposedly have state of the art technology - don't.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

Is there any reason why you should text a 911 responder instead of just calling them?

Yes, if you are hiding under your bed while a murderer is killing your parents.

Re:What the hell

[Culture20]

Heh. 999? It's just asking for butt dialing.

Re:What the hell

[Culture20]

That situation happens enough that it can be a serious problem. Several 911 dispatchers that I've talked to have said that they usually hang up if they hear nobody because it usually is a prank call. Kids are stupid and do just that, so dispatchers will do the same thing nowadays, at least around here they do...

So dial, and lightly tap S.O.S. in Morse code on the microphone. (...---... [three short taps, three long taps, three short taps, pause, repeat] for the youngsters in the crowd)

Re:What the hell

[Albanach]

Several 911 dispatchers that I've talked to have said that they usually hang up if they hear nobody because it usually is a prank call.

I'll hope either you're making that up, or the person who told you was making it up.

From your own language, 'usually' probably isn't the best criteria for an operator to use when judging if a call is an emergency or not. Furthermore, if they just hang up, they're breaking the law, since they should be checking any silent call in case it is a TTY call.

A quick google let me find call handling procedures for a few 911 centers. From what I could see, standard operating procedure is to dispatch an officer to the location of a silent call where the location can be determined. With E-911, this information will be available for a large number of wireless calls too.

That said, I'm in favor of this plan. While I wouldn't encourage texting 911, silently dropping data isn't a good idea. In the UK, you can text landline phones, so I can easily imagine cell phone users imagining they should be able to text anyone, even the emergency services.

Re:What the hell

[UnifiedTechs]

From FCC Site:

Phase II E911 rules require wireless service providers to: * within six minutes of a valid request by a PSAP, provide more precise location information to PSAPs; specifically, the latitude and longitude of the caller. This information must be accurate to within 50 to 300 meters depending on the type of technology used.

If your willing to bet your life on 6 minutes and 1000 feet that's fine, but I rather not. Sorry, what's that, you use a GPS based system and your in a heavily constructed bank or office building? I guess you can try and hit the bad guys on the head with your phone... though the old "brick" phones where much better at that.

Re:What the hell

[bsDaemon]

My dad somehow managed to butt dial 911 while at the gun range one day... that was a fun adventure.

Re:What the hell

[mysidia]

why you should text a 911 responder instead of just calling them?

Because there's an insane guy with a gun in a large room, and if he sees you on the phone, he will shoot. A covert way of calling in the emergency services could be useful.

As long as cell carriers are required to provide 911 with the GPS coordinates the phone was located at when the text was sent.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

Dial 911, simply do not SAY anything but do not hang up. cops will be on the way.

2-4 hours later, if you called from a landline. If you called from a cell-phone or want them there sooner... good luck. Probably not going to happen.

Re:What the hell

[girlintraining]

Is there any reason why you should text a 911 responder instead of just calling them?

Yeah. I can type without looking at the keys. A useful thing when a gun is pointed to your head and you don't want to alert the gunman that you're calling 911 and giving them a physical description, possibly a picture, his present location, and what he's armed with, as well as where his co-conspirators are.

Re:What the hell

[gnud]

How do you perform this "long tap"? :)

Re:What the hell

[mysidia]

Dial 911, simply do not SAY anything but do not hang up. cops will be on the way.

In many areas, simply dialing 911 does not connect you to an operator, you go to an IVR, and to get a responder you re prompted to "Press 1" or shout "Emergency" into the handset. 911 misdials are too frequent.

This caused problems a couple years ago, because certain Motorola and other phones disable all DTMF when a call was made to 911, so the person answering the IVR would "Press 1" when prompted to press 1, but since DTMF was disabled by their phone, it was impossible to answer the IVR prompt and get to the responder.

As for 911 no-contact / hangup calls, a police officer might come by in a few hours to investigate/figure out why 911 was dialed, and scold / fine the perp who dialed in

Re:What the hell

[BattleApple]

In the US, they'll send someone no matter what. Interesting fact - on some phones (verizon), typing 911 without hitting send will still contact 911. This happened to a friend of mine.. she typed 911 as a joke, didn't hit send, then hung up. She got a call back, then explained it was a mistake, but they still had to send a cop to the house.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

Is it also not reasonable in times of disasters? To keep networks clear of redundant calls? To keep 911 lines open for other emergencies?

You're at a shopping center, the roof caves in. 50 people call 911 or 40 people text 911 and 10 people call. I do not see a problem when it comes to a mass emergency.

Re:What the hell

[natehoy]

Who says you're not interacting? It's not like texting can't possibly be two-way. Every text message is sent with the reply-to phone number. If there's not enough information, the dispatcher can reply if necessary. When enough information is received, the dispatcher can reply with "help is on the way". You know your message has been received.

Other than the oft-mentioned "because you could be overheard", there's another good reason to use text as opposed to voice. If you are in an area of very marginal signal and/or have very low batteries, a text message uses the minimum tower time to send the data. You only need a few seconds of very minimal signal to send a text message. Establishing a voice call and maintaining it through even a brief conversation requires a stable signal for at least a good handful of seconds. Sending a text only requires a single handshake signal with the tower.

If I was somewhere that signal was impossible but I knew of an area nearby that had signal, I could even pre-type the message with all the details I need to send and set it up for delivery, then get the phone to somewhere signal is available. Even if the phone is destroyed in the process, as long as it passes through an area of even marginal signal for a few seconds on the way to its demise, the message stands a solid chance of getting through. Think of that terrible flick "panic room", for example. She could get signal by sliding her phone down that tube, but couldn't use the phone when it was down the tube. Type text message, hit SEND, slide phone down tube, message sent.

It's not ideal, and I'm not saying these are going to be common cases, and certainly a call is better in 99% of circumstances (especially if the phone sends GPS location to 911 on a call, since it generally won't on a text). But it certainly seems like a nice backup option to have.

And let's not forget impairments. I have several friends who are deaf who carry cell phones. Their phones are on "no voice" plans, because voice is useless to them - they use text for mobile communications. If they had an emergency, texting is what they'd want to do anyway, since they'd have no way of knowing their message went through unless they received a reply text. If "911" put them on hold, they'd have no way of knowing it, and they'd be talking to a recording thinking their message was going through.

Re:What the hell

[jc79]

In the UK, you can already text 999, provided your phone is registered (send "register" to 999). This is aimed at people with speech or hearing impairments, but is also being used by outdoor enthusiasts, as a text can often be sent when there is insufficient signal strength for a voice call.

Re:What the hell

[dnaumov]

um you do realise they can't track about 70% of the cell phones currently in use right.

triangulation takes time 10-15 minutes at a minimum. so unless your phone broadcasts e911 gps they don't know where you are.

What kind of assbackwards mobile network are you talking about? Triangulation using mobile base stations is at most, a 2-3 minute affair.

- sincerely,
European mobile providers

Re:What the hell

[Duradin]

And they aren't going to notice all the hand movements for texting when they are pointing their gun at you?

Re:What the hell

[Culture20]

How do you perform this "long tap"? :)

Your emoticon indicates you're joking, but somone probably does want to know, so:

tap (no pause) tap (no pause) tap (no pause)
tap (slight pause) tap (slight pause) tap (slight pause)
tap (no pause) tap (no pause) tap (long pause)
repeat

Re:What the hell

[Macrat]

My dad somehow managed to butt dial 911 while at the gun range one day... that was a fun adventure.

Many cell phones have an "emergency" button that will dial even when the keypad is locked. Makes it very easy to butt dial. (On my Sony Ericsson P800 it I learned it was the 8 key.)

Re:What the hell

[pla]

GPS only works outdoors.

Tell that to my Garmin 60CSx.

It probably wouldn't work on the bottom floor of an underground parking garage, but it has no problem getting a lock on the ground floor of my house (when, for example, I connect it to the PC to send waypoints to it).

Re:What the hell

[mysidia]

I'll hope either you're making that up, or the person who told you was making it up.

As it is, 911 gets more calls than they can deal with in many areas, and a lot of clueless people, or people without phone books call in non-emergencies, and there are plenty of calls at any particular time where the person does make contact. They have to prioritize the calls, and they address calls where life is reported to be in immediate danger first. The girl down the street's broken nail can wait, so can the guy caught shoplifting, unless he's armed or posing an immediate threat. Your silent call to 911 might get answered hours later, if at all.

Check out this link in regards to 911 call screening

Some Sprint Nextel customers reported trouble reaching a live 911 operator in Clackamas, Washington and Multnomah counties in Oregon. When Sprint investigated the cause of these complaints, we learned that these counties had implemented an Interactive Voice Response System (IVR) to screen 911 calls. Sprint Nextel learned that IVRs also are used in Reno, Nevada, and by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to validate emergency situations. When dialing 911, callers in these areas must either press 1 or state "emergency" to be connected to a 911 operator. When the “1” is pressed, a special tone, referred to as dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF), typically transmits information over the voice circuit.

There are cell phones that cannot access, or have a limited ability to access, DTMF when a 911 call is made. Certain Motorola-manufactured iDEN handsets have had DTMF tones block to avoid over-dialing when placing a 911 call. This safety feature was incorporated by Motorola prior to learning that automated response systems were being used to respond to 911 calls.

Re:What the hell

[delinear]

This is about helping to determine the appropriate response, though. It could be the difference between "it's probably an accidental dial, we'll have someone pop around in a couple of hours while he's doing the doughnut run" and "armed siege in progress, we'll have SWAT there in munutes".

Re:What the hell

[ShanghaiBill]

I can only think of one situation: if you are hiding from an attacker.

I can think of a few more:

1. You are a deaf/mute.
2. You have a mouth or throat injury, and are unable to speak.
3. You are in a very noisy environment.

Re:What the hell

[Culture20]

The Google-provided WiFi data is to be deleted, and trilateration by cell tower signal is nowhere near as accurate as many folks make out. I wouldn't trust cell tower signal to guide me to a street in London, for instance, and that's exactly the kind of information a 911 responder would need.

That's surprising to me. I live in the U.S. in a city smaller than London, but my original iPhone (no real GPS) could pinpoint me within large buildings, and was never off more than 20 meters unless I was in rural areas (with fewer cell towers). Maybe the signals used in London don't penetrate walls as well?

Re:What the hell

[delinear]

Is that really the situation in the US? Here in the UK they have to investigate every call, even if it's an obvious hoax call (kids giggling on the other end or something). That's why there's such a big deal about not calling unless it's a real emergency, because it's a big drain on resources to follow these things up (but I guess they feel it's worth it for the one time they don't follow it up and it's something serious).

Re:What the hell

[Darkness404]

Yes a cop might be on the way. But there are times such as with Virginia Tech and other hostage situations where a cop isn't going to do the job. Look, if someone or a group of people has a large amount of hostages, you want a hostage negotiator or a SWAT team, you don't want the typical donut eating cop to show up. Texting through 911 would make it be easier, that way you can differentiate between "hes taking all the money from the register and just needs to be scared away" and "he's got a gun to the cashier's head, there are 15 of us here and he has no problems shooting us all".

Re:What the hell

[shoehornjob]

If the VA Tech gunman was in the room with a bunch of hostages you can bet no one would be talking to 911 but if they could text it may have made all the difference. MMS messages would be even better.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

Without interacting with the dispatcher, you can't be sure that you've provided the necessary info. Talking is faster than typing, even for a T9 wizard. Is there any reason why you should text a 911 responder instead of just calling them?

I have found that in areas with very poor signal strength I can send a text message when I am unable to make a voice call - or if I the call goes through it is so garbled that it is unintelligible.

Re:What the hell

[Myopic]

If I were in a noise-sensitive situation, it is the "hello? hello?" that I would be worried about.

Anyway, the way I see it 911 should be able to receive just about any possible type of communication: traditional phone, cell phone, CB radio, short wave radio, text, video, carrier pigeon, email, IM, snail mail, Wave. Everything EXCEPT that new Facebook thing, because that is stupid.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

It might not be enough to pinpoint the exact location, it might, on the other hand, be enough to allow you to pan around a convenient CCTV camera (there have to be some positive benefits to having these things everywhere) or have a patrol in the area drive by and look for anything out of the ordinary. Sure it's not as good as detailed information from the caller, but sometimes anything is better than nothing.

Re:What the hell

[mlush]

Without interacting with the dispatcher, you can't be sure that you've provided the necessary info. Talking is faster than typing, even for a T9 wizard. Is there any reason why you should text a 911 responder instead of just calling them?

There is also no guarantee that the message will get through in time (I've had SMS that has taken hours to come through). Definite last ditch communication method!

Re:What the hell

[natehoy]

OK, then you have to make a few assumptions:

1. You're assuming that the 911 dispatcher isn't going to treat this like the last 50 accidental calls with hangup he's received in the last 2 hours. The dispatcher is going to try and call back. So you'd better be damned fast turning your phone off or silencing it.

2. You're assuming your cell phone can send any sort of location data with the call, other than the nearest tower which might be a half mile away or more. If you're inside the bank, the GPS is obviously useless. So the dispatcher knows someone within a one-mile radius called and is not answering the reply call, so even if he assumes you have a real problem, but he has no idea exactly where you are. Your phone might triangulate a little better eventually once he's contacted the phone company and asked for current triangulation data, or maybe not.

3. You're assuming that the dispatcher can tell at all what is going on based on a hangup even if he can figure out it's a real call and where you are. He might send an ambulance where what you need is an armed response, or vice versa. More likely he's going to send a beat cop out to "check the area and look for anything suspicious", and the beat cop is going to give the area a cursory drive-through.

If you really want to do something like this, make the call, turn your handset volume down, and hide the phone somewhere that it can hear what is going on. That way, the dispatcher can hear the inside of the bank and can probably at least figure some clue of what's going on and maybe even figure out where if you mention it ("Here at the 5th street branch of key bank, we're told to cooperate with robbers, so just tell me what you want me to do") but that's risky. It might be a useful continuous feed of information, but you run the risk of the phone losing signal or being discovered.

But, even so, compare that to a text. "3 armed robbers key bank maple ave" or "armed intruder 123 anywhere st, i am hiding in basement". You've sent enough information so the dispatchers know exactly where you are and what sort of response they have to send. You've fed them lots of valuable information and you haven't had to say a word.

Re:What the hell

[peragrin]

it is a shame that there isn't one but three seperate cell phone standards in the USA.

Re:What the hell

[Myopic]

To be honest I'm a little surprised that 911 can't receive text messages. For goodness sake! My own elderly mother can receive text messages, and she isn't supported by billions of dollars of federal funding for high-tech communication systems. Seriously? Nobody at 911 has a frickin' cell phone?

I'm just saying, when I dial 911 I didn't realize I was calling someone stuck with technology from 1911.

Re:What the hell

[BizzyM]

That is retarded.

Dial 911, simply do not SAY anything but do not hang up. cops will be on the way.

What moron thinks the 911 dispatcher will go "hello? hello? Nobody there, I'll hang up and ignore it....."

That only works with Landlines. On a cell phone, unless you repeatedly call 911 OR the operator can hear some sort of disturbance in the background, AND have a Wireless Phase 2 phone, you won't see any cops.
The fact is, with as many 911 butt dials that are received, and the uncertainty of location of silent cell phone callers, cops are not going to be bothered with hunting them down.
2 cool stories: 1) I got a call on 911 from a cell phone where the guy was shouting into the phone his address over and over and would state that he's not sure if this is working because his clam-shell phone was split in two by his boyfriend. I sent units to that address and the guy apologized and said nothing was going on, everything was fine, he just panicked a little. Point? It doesn't matter what an operator hears, it's what the cop finds when he gets there. and 2) Using Wireless Phase 2, another operator and I tracked an open line 911 call throughout the city while listening to a conversation about wanting to go buy crack, buying the crack, and discussing where to smoke the crack. Once they parked at the cemetery, we sent a unit to investigate. Unit approached and asked what they were doing. Short discussion later, unit asks if either has a cell phone on them and if they would take a look at it. "Aw shit" was the last thing we heard. Unit couldn't search them for drugs because he didn't have justification, even though they were on a recorded line during the deal. Again, doesn't matter what we hear, it's what they witness when they get there.

Re:What the hell

[delinear]

Albeit, I'm a nurse and former fire fighter and know what to provide: "2 car MVC, Any Street and Bob Road, 3 passengers with injuries, one ejected. Send EMS."

For some reason made me think of this:

Rimmer: White-hole-spewing-time-engines-dead-air-supply-low-advice-please.
Holly: Excuse me?
Rimmer: White-hole-spewing-time-engines-dead...
Holly: I can't understand a word you're saying.
Rimmer: White...
Holly: Yes.
Rimmer: Hole...
Holly: Right.
Rimmer: Spewing...
Holly: Yes.
Rimmer: Time.....
Holly: With you.
Rimmer: Engines dead...
Holly: Oh.
Rimmer: Air supply low...
Holly: Ah.
Rimmer: Advice please.
Holly: Right!

Re:What the hell

[Bengie]

even 2-3 minutes is a bit high. My phone's GPS is based off of triangulation and that's real time.

Using actual GPS signals from a satellite is too expensive for added circuitry. Much cheaper to use cell towers. No signal = no GPS.
Got this info right out of my instruction manual.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

Thanks for bringing up the low signal/battery issue - saved me the effort. About the only thing I think you may have forgotten is deaf people - being able to text back and forth would be helpful for them too...

Re:What the hell

[morari]

I feel sorry for all of the dispatcher trying to read these idiots text messages.

"i r n teh bck r/m... hlp!!!!!11"

Re:What the hell

[kevinNCSU]

Or hell, just because you don't want to give 27 forms of ID before they'll even listen to your problem (I personally love that one - God forbid anyone actually use 911 for a real emergency, you'd die before the operator stops asking for details like your college roommate's pet chinchilla's name)?

That's not really true. I had to run a few miles before I could find someone with service to call 911 for a hiker that had fallen onto rocks in a ravine and they definitely asked about the situation, status, and location of the injured person first and foremost and only at the end of the call collected my name and number to call me back if needed. After running the trail to get service the call seemed like the fastest and most efficient thing in the world. The park ranger and the helicopter took significantly longer unfortunately but that's the woods.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, only if you're hunkered down behind a desk, hoping the gunman won't notice you used Old Spice when you showered this morning.

Look down, now up. What's that? It's a gunman, and he's taking you hostage.

Look at me! I'm hunkering behind a desk, texting 911.

Back to the gunman, he's now going from office to office firing round after round out of a carbine into the office drones.

Back to me, 911 texted me back. Look at my phone, they say they'll be here shortly, and there's a reassuring smiley face. Back to me, I'm saved. Back to my phone, another text with the ringer set to siren, back to me, I'm in the morgue.

Re:What the hell

[dvoecks]

4. You're in an area with very poor signal

Re:What the hell

[DarwinSurvivor]

I can think of at least 1 more VERY important reason for being able to SMS 911, remote locations. If you are lost on a snow covered mountain and your car dies, there is a good chance you may not have cell reception. SMS however can quite often work even if your phone shows 0 bars since an SMS can be sent in the short time your cell may be trying to connect to a tower, even if the connection fails.

As someone who does a lot of camping in non-cell locations, 911 over SMS would be a VERY comforting thing. A SPOT can be a life saver, but sometimes people get stuck without service who weren't expecting it (long drive home from a family reunion, etc).

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

Sometimes you may not have good enough coverage for a call, but an SMS will go through. Or it might be new years eve and the cell phone network is too overloaded for calls, but SMS messages will still get through, at least that's my experience.

Re:What the hell

[Arancaytar]

"bein hld hstg @ UVA 2 guy w smg. fml."

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, the mute deserve it! Oh, wait... maybe you deserve it. It's people like you who think that if THEY need something, everyone does and if THEY don't need something, nobody does and if THEY have a particular way of thinking, that way is the only/best way.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

Ambulances in Central Texas don't have GPS. Earlier this year one got lost on the way to my Grandmother's house. Easily 5 minutes lost. But apparently we have the best healthcare in the world once you get there.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes there are reasons to text instead of calling. What if you are in a situation like some one broke into your home while you were in it and you hid from the person who broke into your home. I for one would rather text then call and risk having the unwanted intruder hear me.

Re:What the hell

[gnud]

My comment was a stupid joke -- because it's the pause, and not the tap, that determines wether you tap a . or a -
Morse code is easier with beeps though.

Re:What the hell

[formfeed]

But this will finally allow teenagers to use 911.

Re:What the hell

[faedle]

Google isn't the only source for that data, nor is it the source most people use.

And my practical experience is that cell phone triangulation, at least in the United States on CDMA networks, is in fact accurate enough to provide +-100 ft. targeting, which is more than precise enough for E911's purposes.

Re:What the hell

[pla]

That's not really true.

Yes, I used a bit of hyperbole there - But certainly not so much as to make the reality anything like what you describe (perhaps you sounded more breathless and desperate for help, so they cut to the chase? Of course, I could cut my arm off with a band-saw and still sound composed when I call, so, sucks for me I guess that I have a pretty decent ability to stay calm).

The past two times I've had occasion to call 911, they very much did as I describe - Not an efficient "what do you need, oh and by the way can we have your name", but they wanted my name, phone number, HOME address (not where I called from - They never even asked that), employer, work number, work address (I remember that question specifically because I didn't even know it at the time), profession, and a handful more completely irrelevant questions that I don't remember well enough to recount them.

Then, and only then, did they get around to asking if I needed help... Right, like I called just for the fun of getting my memoirs published in the 911 blotter.

Re:What the hell

[Glendale2x]

Ah, the Reno 911 AVR. It was applied to cell phone calls specifically because there was an unmanageable amount of pocket dialing, and our dispatch center is not super huge. I called 911 once when the system was in place and either you dialed * or supposedly it would connect the call anyway if it heard "loud noises". I believe it's since been removed, or at least the last time I called in concrete chunks on the freeway from my cell I was connected to a dispatcher immediately.

Re:What the hell

[faedle]

Also, googie is only deleting the payload data. I do not believe that Google is in fact deleting ALL the information, such as the geolocation information, just the PAYLOAD data that it did not intend to collect.

Re:What the hell

[tepples]

If someone sends a text message to 911 instead of calling, why shouldn't they be equipped to receive it (and respond to it)?

For the same reason that a land line can't send and receive texts.

Re:What the hell

[BattleApple]

I'm not sure if that's a good idea.. say you're in a bad situation, and you manage to dial 911 then hang up. Your attacker then puts a gun to your head and makes you call back and say it was an accident, knowing that it will delay the response. There's really no way to know what's going on on the other end. In most places at any given time, I'm sure there's at least one cop sitting around eating doughnuts or at speed trap or something

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

Apparently there's far too many of those calls, and most of them are false alarms for that to be any use. Or at least that is the case in England where you call emergency services using the English number 999 or the EU number 112.

The US 911 was deliberately chosen to use digits on the opposite end of the dial. (This still works well with keypads.)

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

That is retarded.

Why?

Dial 911, simply do not SAY anything but do not hang up. cops will be on the way.

The dispatcher will still be speaking, and that might well be loud enough to be heard by others, especially if in that scary situation you didn't have the presence of mind to turn down your phone volume before dialing 911.

What moron thinks the 911 dispatcher will go "hello? hello? Nobody there, I'll hang up and ignore it....."

What kind of moron thinks ANYONE was thinking that? The kind who doesn't stop and take five seconds to think about something before firing his fool mouth off in a vain attempt to come off as a bastion of common sense. The kind named Lumpy, in short.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not really "global" if it doesn't work in an area without cell towers, but I suppose I can't complain, since nobody can properly utilize their native language anymore.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

112 is not an EU number, it is the international number meant to be used for satellite phones but tends to redirect to the local number in all countries.

Re:What the hell

[jonbryce]

The EU government thinks otherwise
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/112/index_en.htm

Re:What the hell

[mr100percent]

I've called 911 at least half a dozen times in New York, they never ask my name until just before they say its OK to hang up.

I think that allowing it would wreck the system. Everyone except these Virginian idiots it seems knows you have to dial 911. Texting 911 takes longer, lacks location info, and requires a back and forth conversation; one text message "I need cops now !!1!" will do nothing by itself. Once you allow texting, I worry that more people will do it and 911 overall will have a slower response

Re:What the hell

[GravityStar]

bull. The operator's network _needs_ to know which tower(s) a cellphone is visible from, just for basic call functionality. Triangulating a cellphone would then require nothing more then instructing each tower in the vicinity of the cellphone to report a signal strength reading on that cellphone.

Bam, some math, map overlay, geographic data, and data on possible obstructions later, and that cellphone is located (with a certain degree of error).

If all that seriously takes more than 1 minute, someone isn't really trying.

Re:What the hell

[GravityStar]

I know, but... come on. This is Slashdot. _That_ should be the context here, right?
We need to have /some/ standards. When we say 'GPS', we should literally mean 'Global Position System', as in; information beamed down from satellites.

Come on fellow SlashCitizens! Slashdot is becoming lax and forgiving. Just yesterday I saw a spelling mistake here on Slashdot without the good and upstanding citizenry mocking its author. What is next? Shall we forgive math errors? Shall we turn a blind eye when an OS is called Linux, instead of its true name 'Gnu/Linux'? No, I tell you, we cannot let this come to pass. We must rise up as one, and educate these trespassers of common sense, so that Slashdot can become one and wholesome again!

Re:What the hell

[peragrin]

1 minute for the math yea i can beleive that. 5 minutes for 911 to be on hold while carrier's advanced tech services are reached, 5 more minutes to get authorization.

In a world where innocent until proven guilty is the norm, the red tape to get permission takes longer than the actual work.

Re:What the hell

[jeff4747]

Actually, your phone probably has "assisted GPS". It takes a non-trivial amount of CPU to calculate a position based on GPS signals. So unless you've got a smartphone, your phone relays the GPS signals to the tower. The tower does the math for the phone.

Re:What the hell

[GroovinWithMrBloe]

Let's have a larger number for dedicated silent calls. 999 111 999. A lot harder to accidentally put in. Publicity of it will make sure people who *need* silent calls will use it (and those who don't are Darwins). All calls to 999 111 999 would be followed up, and pranksters would be severely fined / jailed on the first offense.

Re:What the hell

[tverbeek]

While POTS can't send and receive texts, there's no reason that the kind of telephony system used by a 911 call center couldn't be enhanced to handle SMS. Your response is like saying we shouldn't send someone to the moon because there's no air there to breathe.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

Especially in a crisis situation, a college student whose friends all have SMS-enabled phones, and even their old-fashioned parents do, might not stop to consider that the people at 911 - who supposedly have state of the art technology - don't.

Darwin's a real bitch sometimes. Every college-age student had "call 911" drilled into them when they were five years old.

And seriously, 911? State of the art? Since when?!

Re:What the hell

[BlueWaterBaboonFarm]

That is retarded.

Dial 911, simply do not SAY anything but do not hang up. cops will be on the way.

What moron thinks the 911 dispatcher will go "hello? hello? Nobody there, I'll hang up and ignore it....."

Due to a design flaw with one of my past phones I made approx. 20 calls over a 2 years to 911 with knowing it. I never once received a call back. So no you're wrong.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

Mod parent -1, Too Retarded To Know It's Him Who's Retarded

Re:What the hell

[reikae]

Even 2-3 minutes sounds very long, at least in Finland according to this page: 112 in Finland.

If I am unable to tell the 112 operator where I am, will the emergency services be able to locate me? If so, how quickly?
  * Yes, immediately for mobile calls and from 2 to 10 seconds for fixed calls.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

The EU adopted it after it was already the international number(in a sense). The fact that the EU uses it does not make it an EU number anymore than an Australian number.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1-1-2

Re:What the hell

[cayenne8]

"It is also good if you are deaf, mute, if there is so much noise that phone call wouldn't work, if radio signal is too poor for a call, if the telephone network is congested etc."

I'd hardly every used SMS text messaging prior to Katrina. No one else I knew at the time hardly used it, and I didn't see much need in paying all that extra money for it.

Well, after Katrina...myself and all my friends scattered about the country, we found that if you had a cell phone with a 504 area code, you were pretty much SOL if you wanted to try to make a voice call to anyone in that area code.

We did, however, find out that txt messages easily got through, and for months, that was about the only way to get ahold of anyone with a 504 area code.

I've become much more of a txt junkie now...as have many of my friends. I email and txt 98% of the time for communications....only use voice here and there like to say "I'm here at the HOB, which side of the stage are you on?"

Re:What the hell

[DavidTC]

No shit.

I rear-ended a guy a few years ago (My fault, luckily I was only going about 15. He was stopped at a crosswalk.), and after a quick check to make sure I seemed uninjured, I called 911.

I told them the location of the accident and that no one seemed injured...then they wanted my name...and then they wanted my address, and my home phone number, and all sorts of crap.

I said 'I was just in a damn car accident and I'm going to see what's going on and if the other people are actually okay, I don't have time for stupid questions. Send the police.' and hung up.

I'm sure there are a lot of bogus dials and pranks and crap, but they have my damn telephone number...surely if I was just making this up they'd send the police out to track me down and give me a fine or something. I didn't call 911 to chat with the damn dispatcher, I called to inform the authorities a car accident had just happened. If I'm lying, slap a giant fine on my phone bill or something. (And if I was lying, I'd probably lie about who I was, wouldn't I?)

Re:What the hell

[DavidTC]

Yes, because hostage situations are always like you describe, where the hostage taker is staring at you.

And never, for instance, a bank robbery where ten people are sitting around against a wall and you could pull out a cellphone and hide it behind you to type, but not bring it up to your head and speak.

Re:What the hell

[sumdumass]

I have some questions about how this would work in reality.

If you are lost, how would you know where to send the emergency response? Or in other words, how would they know how to find you. As far as I'm aware, 9/11 dispatchers currently either triangulate your presence on towers (something that couldn't be done with sms), or read the GPS coordinated in the phone if you are unable to tell them where you are. Perhaps this is more about getting geo-data associated with texts then any real safety issues.

As far as non-cell locations go. What's stopping you from texting someone else in order to have them call 9/11? That's basically how onstar works, they read the collisions data, attempt to contact the person and notify 9/11 in the appropriate area about the known conditions.

In most the non-cell locations that I go camping in, SMS only works part of the time. There is a huge delay in sending or receiving texts. I've seen them wait 16 or more hours before going out and being received. Funny story, mushroom hunting 2006, sent a message to someone looking in another area that we were going to group up and go to another location. As we were his ride, it was important that he came with us. Well, he didn't get the message but was coming out of the woods about the same time we got back to the car so no one bothered asking. Later that night while camping, everyone else went fishing before setting camp up and he stayed behind to get a fire built and ready for cooking because he didn't have a fishing license (hated to fish). He was all by his self, about 100 miles in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception, no one that he knew off within miles, no ride, and as dusk started coming on, he gets a message that we were leaving- come find us. Being his first trip out with us and to this area, he was petrified that we left him in the middle of nowhere for the bears to eat. We showed up about 45 minutes later to a frantic guy pissed off and yelling that it wasn't funny. We had to show him where the message was sent some 13 hours ago when we first got there before he would settle down. Now we use GPS enabled 2 way radios when splitting up on our excursions. Not only does it allow us to identify where we are, but we can send the GPS coordinates to others with us if we get into trouble (which happened once).

Re:What the hell

[sumdumass]

Some of the older phones would dial 9/11 if the number 9 was held down for a period of time. This feature worked whether you were in service coverage or not or even if you had your service disconnected.

Re:What the hell

[CyberDragon777]

Yes it can both.
(At least in my country)

If the land line phone is not SMS capable, it is converted to voice by the provider.

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

How did this student make it to college?

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

only for people who want their phone music player and low end gaming on one short life battery

Re:What the hell

[tepples]

there's no reason that the kind of telephony system used by a 911 call center couldn't be enhanced to handle SMS.

One reason is lack of funds.

Re:What the hell

[LordNightwalker]

Wow, how can anyone not know that 911 doesn't respond to SMS? How many times has anyone heard the phrase "text 911" as opposed to "call 911"? Did anyone see texting mentioned as one of the options when the 911 system was explained to them? Since the emergency services never advertised SMS capabilities, and all 911 interactions I ever witnessed in movies/shows showed two-way vocal communication between the caller and the operator, I'd actually be rather surprised if my SMS to 911 did go through. And let's not forget: an SMS carries no guarantee of delivery. In an emergency you want to be sure your communication goes through or at least know when it doesn't, and most people I know have delivery reports turned off because that's the phone's factory setting.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for it. It definitely makes sense in emergency situations to be able to communicate covertly with the emergency services and it's certainly way overdue. But I just don't understand the stupidity of some people who expect that everything and everyone is using the exact same technologies they're accustomed to.

What's next? People complaining that 911 doesn't respond to @911 tweets?

Re:What the hell

[roseblood]

I'll add the possibility that you are in a motor vehicle in a jurisdiction that has made placing phone calls while driving illegal.

Re:What the hell

[tangent]

how would they know how to find you.

If you're lost in the mountains, simply knowing which tower received the SMS message would probably help the SAR team a lot.

Besides, this would allow SAR to hold a slow IM-like conversation with the lost person. They could describe their surroundings, coordinate movements, give status updates, etc.

It would be nice if the FCC would also raise the cap on radio strength when sending messages to 911. It should be able to temporarily jump to, say, 5 W to burst the SMS out. Even if this is only one-way, it'd probably save a lot of lives.

Re:What the hell

[DarwinSurvivor]

I was thinking the exact same thing. If you are lost you wouldn't send "Help I'm Lost". You would send "Lost 2 hours north of foobar. low on water. near cliff face.". That would give SAR a *MUCH* better search grid to work with than your spouse telling them which park you were in and them only finding your car in the parking lot.

We did a camping trip on a local mountain known for people getting lost when we got woken up at 2am by SAR asking for a family of 4 or 5. Fromt their description we realised we had seen them decending earlier that day but not nearly fast enough to make it off. There were still searching the next day when we left (afternoon). Had that family SMS'd SAR they probably could have given a brief description of their location and been found MUCH faster.

Re:What the hell

[LandGator]

Still in place in Clackamas and Multnomah counties, haven't dialed 9-1-1 in Washington for years.

Re:What the hell

[LandGator]

And none of them can auto-locate from a text message, the largest flaw in this concept.

Re:What the hell

[LandGator]

But texting does not send this information. The SMS protocol is for a very short message, and since it's part of the GSM, there will be hell to pay at the French-dominated ITU to rework the SMS standard so *new* phones will have the logic to append a second message showing the location on transmissions to 9-1-1, 1-1-2, 9-9-9, et al. New logic is required, for if location data's sent with every message, then the sender is revealing their location to every message recipient, and won't *that* be popular.

Re:What the hell

[LandGator]

GSM phones (ATT, T-Mobile) put the locating intelligence in the network; if your phone can talk to the towers, the network can locate you. CMDA systems (Sprint, Verizon) rely on new logic in the phone, which is why an FCC mandate for A-GPS in new phones was required. Because of the essential broadband nature of CDMA, that system required A-GPS,, whereas the TDMA single-channel system underlying GSM made triangulation practical.

Re:What the hell

[LandGator]

Absolutely. State legislators look at 9-1-1 fees as a cash cow to rob whenever they need pork (pardon the mixed metaphor).

Re:What the hell

[wooferhound]

5- You don't want to speak out loud revealing your location to the shooter

Re:What the hell

[TheABomb]

Until your "silent" notification is acknowledged by the 911 dispatcher texting you back and your hilarious Strong Bad sound clip ringtone gets you all killed.

Re:What the hell

[mysidia]

Still in place in Clackamas and Multnomah counties, haven't dialed 9-1-1 in Washington for years.

Hm.. kind of hard to know for sure, most people don't have a reason to call 911 every day.

Not like you can just call in to "test out 911". It'd be like what happened to this guy or worse,

when I tried testing 911 once by calling the number and saying to the operator "This is just a test, I am making changes to my phone system at home and want to make sure I can still call 911", things went wrong. The operator just asked if I was OK and after confirming it, the call ended. To my surprise about 5 minutes after I found myself explaining the joys of VOIP telephony to local cops and next morning to my neighbors :) 911 operator called the cops to check things out nevertheless and 3 cars came with all the police fanfare. Cops said to never make such calls again.

Re:What the hell

[sznupi]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necessity

Re:What the hell

[Ihmhi]

Texting is (relatively) silent. If you're hiding in a closet from a gunman, do you really want to open your mouth?

Re:What the hell

[sznupi]

Not in times of rotary phones (or generally stationary ones), of which 999 is a legacy.

Re:What the hell

[sznupi]

Triangulation (more multilateration, really) in modern cellular networks works via differences in time of arrival of signals. It's almost instant.

Re:What the hell

[sznupi]

The dispatcher system knows the telephone number, can request more info about it. Or - telecom network knows the location of mobile phone; their SMS center can attach and forward the location just for SMS sent to 911.

(and what's that hysteria about "French-dominated ITU"?)

Re:What the hell

[sznupi]

The dispatcher system knows the telephone number, can request more info about it. Or - telecom network actively tracks the locations of mobile phones; it can save that information and attach it to the message just for SMS sent to 911.

Re:What the hell

[DrgnDancer]

Yeah, you probably want to make sure it's on "silent".

Re:What the hell

[Duradin]

If you don't control the hands you don't control the person.

There's a reason both cops and robbers use the phrase "hands where I can see them".

Re:What the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

I was in a bank that got robbed and taken hostage once. It was a 10 hour ordeal. We were taken hostage shortly after it was discovered that a woman in line was on the phone with the 911 operator.

Re:What the hell

[DavidTC]

Yes, but luckily criminals are often idiots.

Re:What the hell

[TheABomb]

So I'm supposed to be able to switch a phone's settings AND type a message on it -- somehow inconspicuously enough not to be noticed by folks who are already on a paranoid, heightened sense of alertness -- and do so quickly enough to summon help?

I would think simply dialing 911 and slipping the phone into my pocket before saying anything on it would be the most effective solution. (A) it's inconspicuous AND (b) with the geolocating data that 911 systems get from inbound calls and the background ruckus noise the phone should still pick up, it wouldn't be hard for a dispatcher to figure out "Hey! there's something going on at location !" and send a police/ambulance/fire emergency crew there (even the dispatcher in Die Hard who didn't even believe anything was going on at Nakatomi Plaza had that much sense).

Lets get with the times

[Anonymous Coward]

Allow also tweets please

Re:Lets get with the times

[Arancaytar]

And Facebook.

"Add 911 as Friend"
"Poke 911"
"Write on 911's Wall"

(Five people liked your wall post: "just got mugged omg help ".)

Re:Lets get with the times

[Anonymous Coward]

If this isnt some shitty joke... then.. fuuuuuckkkkk no.

@ 911 help i have no life #iamgay #imakebadjokes #retardedideas

Re:Lets get with the times

[pla]

Lets get with the times

Oh, puh-lease. Facebook has sooo jumped the shark.

All the cool kids today have "discovered" this cool retro thing called "IRC". It even has built-in filesharing and "rooms" for group chat!

Re:Lets get with the times

[goldaryn]

This exists. Greater Manchester Police released an app which gives security updates and stuff. I haven't used it. It's not been without it's critics.

But worrying about texts to 911 ignores the real issue, which is easily available guns and ammo.

Re:Lets get with the times

[L4t3r4lu5]

And Facebook.

"Add 911 as Friend" "Poke 911" "Write on 911's Wall"

(Five people liked your wall post: "just got mugged omg help ".)

Yeah, because a mugger won't take your phone.

Re:Lets get with the times

[Anonymous Coward]

"But worrying about texts to 911 ignores the real issue, which is easily available guns and ammo."

WHAT? thats the solution to the problem.

Re:Lets get with the times

[Anonymous Coward]

You know, when I'm being mugged I don't particularly care if its a 9mm or a butter knife being held to my head

You may have a point about drive-bys but then I don't like drive by Moltov cocktails either...

Re:Lets get with the times

[bsDaemon]

Maybe they don't want to get lo-jacked by the phone and so leave it behind to be all covert and whatnot?

Re:Lets get with the times

[metamatic]

I notice that twitter.com/911 has been suspended... I expect they got too many people thinking it was real.

Re:Lets get with the times

[Arancaytar]

"IRC? Don't you mean mIRC?"

("... what's a client?")

Re:Lets get with the times

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, because a mugger won't take your phone.

Not my phone, it's so old it's ancient. Mugger would take one look at it, and say "You want me to smash it up so you can get a new one?"

Re:Lets get with the times

[LandGator]

Easily available guns and ammo allows a 98-lb. woman to prevent assault by a 6'3" mad Scotsman with a dirk. Or, don't they have knife crime in your Utopian homeland?

Based on the summary

[OzPeter]

Based on the summary it seems that the text generation expected 911 to work the way their life works. It is a pity that texting 911 didn't work and it is interesting that it is being investigated

Re:Based on the summary

[Lumbre]

It's more like they hoped 911 would accept texts. What seems riskier to you: making a phone call and lowering the volume on your phone or pressing keys on your cell phone?

Personally, I wonder whether insufficient information will create more deaths, indirectly. 911 can't text back. What if your phone makes noise when a text is received? How are police supposed to know what they need to do? Do they need SWAT? Where is s/he exactly? Sure, we think we can just rely on the police to do something, but they're people too. Without more information, they're going into the unknown and take more risk.

Re:Based on the summary

[Skidborg]

It could be perfectly possible for the 911 operator to text back using a different number entirely. And we just need to train people to give the four W's: Who, What, Where, and Weapons. With those four facts you can generally get the response level you need.

Sounds problematic

[C_Kode]

This sounds very problematic. First off, you can text from a computer without a phone number. Prank text messages sounds like it could be a real problem.

Second, dispatch can't ask distinct questions and anyone who works in IT that has dealt with people with problems, they aren't always clear and concise what is happening.

Re:Sounds problematic

[somersault]

First off, you can text from a computer without a phone number. Prank text messages sounds like it could be a real problem.

If you were that interested in prank calls you could use a public payphone. They could also filter out messages sent from anonymous/public text services, only accepting properly registered numbers, and limit it to responses to serious situations rather than "I broke my leg, but I can't be bothered calling you so I'm texting instead".

Re:Sounds problematic

[Anonymous Coward]

If you were that interested in prank calls you could use a public payphone.

What's this "public payphone" you speak of?

Re:Sounds problematic

[somersault]

Here's your answer.

Re:Sounds problematic

[faedle]

You do realize that E911 has to know the phone number to know what dispatch center to route the "call" to. So, I suspect that it would likely cause a different problem: if you texted 911 from a phantom number, the text would simply be dropped because it would not know how to route the call.

Re:Sounds problematic

[Anonymous Coward]

You apparently know nothing about how 911 dispatch works (e.g. they have ways to deal with hang-ups, calls in which no one talks at all, calls in languages the dispatcher can't understand, etc.)

You also apparently don't understand text messaging (e.g. the person receiving can send replies asking for clarification).

Re:Sounds problematic

[grumbel]

This sounds very problematic.

The alternative to text messages here isn't a phone call, but no contact to 911 at all (example is given right in the summary). Doesn't sound that problematic when seen this way. Also this isn't just about texting, but about using capabilities of mobile phones in general, live video streaming could be quite handy in many emergencies.

Re:Sounds problematic

[Yhippa]

I was thinking about possible solutions to this like if you receive a cluster of messages temporally or geospatially then you can further investigate it. But text messages are so cheap that a bunch of people could coordinate a prank on 911 easily. After reading the article I think that this will probably be a good thing in the long run and that allowing texts (tweets?) to 911 is a valuable public service and they're going to have to make it work out somehow.

Re:Sounds problematic

[nospam007]

I broke my leg, but the fucking phone is downstairs, so I'm texting instead.

Re:Sounds problematic

[bsDaemon]

Or, say you're a student from out-of-state, and your phone has a way different area code. You call 911 from your phone and it just checks the origin number, then routes you to 911 in New Jersey when you're in Mass. having an emergency. Hopefully they have a different way of figuring it for cell phones than just the number?

Re:Sounds problematic

[somersault]

I suppose some people really are that stupid that they might not realise mobile phones work as phones too..

Re:Sounds problematic

[delinear]

You'd have to be pretty stupid to prank call/text the emergency services from your own mobile. It's not like these things are hard to trace back to the owner. I guess it might be more of an issue if kids prank other kid's phones since you'd land them in hot water, but people would just have to be more careful with their possessions.

Re:Sounds problematic

[SleazyRidr]

Here's your whoosh.

Re:Sounds problematic

[faedle]

Yes, for VOICE CELL PHONE calls it will typically route you to the designated PSAP for CELLULAR phones in the geographical area the cell tower(s) that handled the call are in.

However, SMS messages don't work the same way as cell phone calls. They are, in fact, handled differently by the network, and devices other than cell phones can originate SMS messages (such as E-mail gateways and VoIP devices). In that case, a hypothetical E911 SMS network would need to make a determination as to what type of device originated the message (completely feasable, BTW) and make decisions based upon the best likely route for the call ("fixed" VoIP device = local PSAP, cellular device = cellular PSAP). It is likely that the state-level regulatory body would make those rules.

Note that almost all cellular E911 calls are routed to a state police agency or a large county sheriff's office, not necessarily the same place a landline E911 call would land. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but almost everywhere I've ever worked with this is the case. In most situations, the state/county dispatcher has the ability to either directly dispatch or get a local agency dispatcher on the line within seconds.

DISCLAIMER: I have actually integrated E911 solutions on both VoIP and landline networks, and this is oversimplified. It varies widely depending on local jurisdictions and tariffs. Even two landline companies operating in the same city might have different E911 handling rules...

Re:Sounds problematic

[somersault]

I assumed around 95% chance it was a joke along the lines of public phones are in decline - but the article says that there are still public payphones in the US, and I still see plenty here in the UK. So it wasn't so much as a "whoosh" moment as a "where's the joke?" moment.

Re:Sounds problematic

[SleazyRidr]

Sure they exist, but go try to find one. Outside the airport and a few old hotels I haven't seen one in years.

Re:Sounds problematic

[DavidTC]

I broke my leg, but I can't be bothered calling you so I'm texting instead

Assume that the broken leg is an emergence, why exactly is not that a serious situation?

You mean they shouldn't respond to text messages that 'should' be phone calls?

What if there's really shitty reception? What if the battery is almost dead? What if the user is deaf or mute? What if the phone got busted when they fell and broke their leg, and now it won't connect calls but can text? What if they have a concussion and don't remember how to speak or their hearing is messed up from that?

Re:Sounds problematic

[the_other_chewey]

Hopefully they have a different way of figuring it for cell phones than just the number?

Yes: The tower your phone is connected to.
It has never been anything else.

Re:Sounds problematic

[somersault]

I know there's one just round the corner from me. Then another right down the road. And many many more that are around that I usually just ignore, but now that I think about it, they're there. They're very common here in the UK. You can even send texts and emails from them now.

They even had one at the end of the road leading past the hamlet/village area my family lived in until ~4 years ago. That was over a mile from the nearest town, and 25 miles from the nearest city. Pretty much the middle of nowhere.

BT alone have 63000 payphones around the UK.

Re:Sounds problematic

[somersault]

I mean the sort of situation where you literally can't speak, like the terrorist scenarios suggested.

I hate speaking to people on the phone. Really. I would much rather sent a text or an email in almost any situation, whether I know someone or not. But in the case of phoning for an ambulance, I'd rather do it in person because if it is indeed an emergency, you can communicate your location and other details a lot more quickly via a phone call, rather than have to have them text back to ask necessary details.

I've not been in many emergency situations but we have had to call an ambulance a couple of times this year. They like to ask questions about allergies, etc, which could be potentially important. They do like to ask pointless questions too of course, but it's good to keep someone talking if they're in shock so they maybe do it to keep the person on the phone talking to the injured person.

What if there's really shitty reception? What if the battery is almost dead? What if the user is deaf or mute? What if the phone got busted when they fell and broke their leg, and now it won't connect calls but can text? What if they have a concussion and don't remember how to speak or their hearing is messed up from that?

Those would fall under the "serious situations" category.

A new vector for pranks.

[chemicaldave]

I'm sure this will lead to many more 911 pranks. Kids are stupid and will only be more brazen about it when they don't have to actually talk to someone.

Re:A new vector for pranks.

[Cwix]

Arrest them.

Take the kid downtown, put him in a cell, call parents. If the parents act like asses press charges against the kid, if they dont and promise to take care of the issue let him out. Once little billys friends find out you get arrested for this, it wont happen anymore. If it does, do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars. Press charges as a repeat offender and force the kid to spend a week in juvie. ( My little brother had to spend a week in juvie for something along these lines. It straightened him right out.)

Re:A new vector for pranks.

[Foobar of Borg]

Arrest them.

Take the kid downtown, put him in a cell, call parents. If the parents act like asses press charges against the kid, if they dont and promise to take care of the issue let him out. Once little billys friends find out you get arrested for this, it wont happen anymore. If it does, do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars. Press charges as a repeat offender and force the kid to spend a week in juvie. ( My little brother had to spend a week in juvie for something along these lines. It straightened him right out.)

Come on! We can't do that! Their self-esteem might be affected!

Re:A new vector for pranks.

[Cwix]

I know, added benefit. Perhaps if the brat (and prank calling 911 makes a kid a brat) learns he/she isnt the center of the universe, they can start acting like a normal human.

Re:A new vector for pranks.

[Cwix]

Nix normal human... make that civilized human. Its almost normal to be a bratty person these days.

Dark Knight-style...

[netsharc]

I just had an idea, about accurately timestamped and geo-tagged SMSes (the second requirement is more or less impossible at the moment, since GPS lock is hard to get indoors), the 911 dispatch could get a swarm of the SMSes and with a visualization tool see how serious the situation is, and where the SMSes are coming from. (For a rough estimate of location, cell-tower identification would probably be sufficient).

The sonar tech that Bruce Wayne embedded quietly into civilian phones in the Dark Knight is also a neat idea, although with several phones in a room, the sonars would probably confuse each other. How do bats do it, does each bat have a slightly different frequency/"voice"?

Kinect-on-a-phone anyone?

Re:Dark Knight-style...

[somersault]

the 911 dispatch could get a swarm of the SMSes and with a visualization tool see how serious the situation is, and where the SMSes are coming from. (For a rough estimate of location, cell-tower identification would probably be sufficient).

Sounds like they should just use Twitter? They already have Geotagging. Personally I've not found any use for Twitter yet, but this sounds like a great use for it!

Re:Dark Knight-style...

[AJNeufeld]

I don't know how bats do it, but CDMA allows several phones and several base stations to operate in overlapping areas on the same frequency. The transmission is "coded" in such a way that to everyone else, it just appears as noise. Kind of like your "voice" thought, but think of it as "language". You can be in a room with many people talking in different languages, and you can pick up a conversation in a language you know, and discard the rest as noise.

Re:Dark Knight-style...

[Anonymous Coward]

Seriously? If a Twitter message can get an accurate geo-location metadata, what makes you think that information can't be attached to an SMS as well? The bloody problem is getting that location information itself (hard to get usable GPS signal indoors), do you think Twitter uses voodoo that isn't accessible to other systems to get that location info?

Re:Dark Knight-style...

[somersault]

If a Twitter message can get an accurate geo-location metadata, what makes you think that information can't be attached to an SMS as well?

Are you serious? It may not be too much of an issue to update the messaging app on smartphones, but there are millions (potentially billions) of dumb phones that are still in use, many of which are not even in production any more, that would need firmware upgrades. The networks would presumably also need major upgrades too to handle the new standard.

Changing the protocol behind an already primarily web based service is relatively easy, even if the clients have to update their Twitter app for it to work. Changing something like SMS is a major undertaking. I don't think SMS has scope for extensions, otherwise MMS would be partially backwards compatible.

Re:Dark Knight-style...

[netsharc]

So the dumb phone user sends an SMS to Twitter's SMS number, that SMS is published as a tweet. How does Twitter know the geo coordinates where the user is currently located?

My idea of the "extension" of the SMS is basically the "911 app" adding plain text at the end of a message that the receiver would have to be intelligent enough to interpret as geo-coordinates (if the 911 system sees some digits that has the ##.#### N, ##.#### W format, it could be designed to interpret that as geo-coordinates).

But you're missing the main point, it is still very difficult for a phone to get signal from GPS satellites, and therefore to geo-locate itself, when it is indoors, it doesn't matter whether that geo-coordinates is meant to be sent as an SMS or to be tweeted, you mentioned Twitter as if they have some magic, alternative way of getting the user's coordinates out of thin air.

Re:Dark Knight-style...

[somersault]

But you're missing the main point, it is still very difficult for a phone to get signal from GPS satellites, and therefore to geo-locate itself, when it is indoors, it doesn't matter whether that geo-coordinates is meant to be sent as an SMS or to be tweeted, you mentioned Twitter as if they have some magic, alternative way of getting the user's coordinates out of thin air.

I said elsewhere you could use the cell phone towers to get at least a vague position with one tower, slightly better with two, and fairly precise with 3. Someone else pointed out that they already do this for 911 calls, so they could do the same with SMS without requiring any new stuff like GPS.

It better be free and work with txting blocked

[Anonymous Coward]

It better be 100% free and work with txting blocked and even if you have no sim.

Re:It better be free and work with txting blocked

[rjstanford]

It better be 100% free and work with txting blocked and even if you have no sim.

If you think you need to make a 911 contact, but wouldn't if it would cost you a dime, then you don't need to make a 911 contact.

Problem solved.

Re:It better be free and work with txting blocked

[Anonymous Coward]

What if you have a prepaid cellphone and are out of cash? 911 (etc. in other countries) are free to call for exactly this reason. It even works without having a SIM card in the phone (at least for European GSM phones) OR knowing any password - typing 112 or 911 will bypass this.

While the "no sim" or "locked phone" is less of a problem, "out of cash" is a bigger one.

Re:It better be free and work with txting blocked

[Anonymous Coward]

If you think you need to make a 911 contact, but wouldn't if it would cost you a dime, then you don't need to make a 911 contact.

Problem solved.

Not entirely. I know people who buy a cell phone for the express purpose of dialing 911 without having any service contract because they know it is free. They feel more secure knowing they can call 911, but they really don't want the cell phone service. For people like that, having to pay to text 911 would inhibit them from doing so.

Re:It better be free and work with txting blocked

[Anonymous Coward]

Ever heard about prepaid phone cards?

Re:It better be free and work with txting blocked

[Anonymous Coward]

The mere fact that you don't have a dime (or don't have one readily available) doesn't make your life not worth saving.

Re:It better be free and work with txting blocked

[Anonymous Coward]

Unless you are on a prepaid plan, and your balance just happens to be zero...

Re:It better be free and work with txting blocked

[thePowerOfGrayskull]

It better be 100% free and work with txting blocked and even if you have no sim.

Yeah! It'd better! Or else... erm, or else what?

Re:It better be free and work with txting blocked

[delinear]

Nevertheless, it's better to have something in the interim, even if that level of functionality is added incrementally over time. For instance, being able to bypass passwords to dial 911 is one thing, being able to bypass them to get to the text messaging app is something else entirely which would have to be added via a firmware update on the handsets themselves - that's not going to happen overnight, and nor should it (to avoid bugs) - still better in the meantime to be able to text even if it requires credit/a password/etc.

Re:It better be free and work with txting blocked

[delinear]

But that's talking about a different and existing function of mobile phones. Being able to send a text to emergency services is something entirely new which likely will need an update to the software on the phones themselves. In that case it's not unreasonable to say that, until the solution is fully implemented and this becomes free, it becomes the responsibility of the phone's owner to keep a little bit of credit on it purely for text emergencies (remember, dialling will still be free so it's a very limited use case).

Re:It better be free and work with txting blocked

[Anonymous Coward]

If you think you need to make a 911 contact, but wouldn't if it would cost you a dime, then you don't need to make a 911 contact.

Problem solved.

While I'd generally agree, take (for example) a 911 situation I was in recently: I live in the midwest US (farm territory!). While driving on a small two-lane county road in a rural area, I saw a cow that had escaped the pasture, and was walking parallel to the road...just barely off the road on the shoulder. I called 911 *purely* as a public service. I avoided the cow, but the area is hilly and the speed is 55mph (meaning a few people will be driving 70+mph). Had I not called, the police may not have shown up, alerting the local landowner of the situation.

I would have called 911 for any nominal fee, but if another person was there and had the slightest dis-incentive to do so...maybe not? Hitting a 1000lb cow at 70mph could be a real catastrophe (not just for the cow!)

Oh come on..

[Anonymous Coward]

"OMGWTF! hlp pls. i hav jus bin stbbd :( Im @ *Some Text Missing*"

What good is that to anybody?

Can't wrap my head around

[NoSleepDemon]

Why the students thought that texting 911 would work. I understand they were in a dire situation, but you wouldn't piss on a fire that's engulfed your entire building because you KNOW it's futile, so why would you text 911? Unless you're pretty damn stupid. Just saying.

Re:Can't wrap my head around

[multipartmixed]

Maybe they were trying to not make any noise.. So as, to you know, not get shot.

Re:Can't wrap my head around

[NoSleepDemon]

Texting 911 doesn't work, everyone knows this, they would have been better off finding somewhere secluded to make a call rather than trying something that is obviously futile.

Or, you know, they could have texted a friend and had them call 911...

Re:Can't wrap my head around

[Eudial]

Texting 911 doesn't work, everyone knows this,

This is evidently not true.

Re:Can't wrap my head around

[NoSleepDemon]

Unfortunately you're right

Re:Can't wrap my head around

[Anonymous Coward]

Why would they think that it wouldn't work? Everybody they know except maybe their grandparents gets text messages.

Re:Can't wrap my head around

[clone52431]

Texting 911 should work. Therefore, some people thought it would work.

Some people are funny like that.

Re:Can't wrap my head around

[NoSleepDemon]

There are many, many things in the world that *should* work in some way, but don't. For example, Flash *should* allow me to prevent a MovieClip from resizing its children, but it doesn't. In this case, my assertion cost me several hours of productivity, in the case of the Virginia Tech students, it cost lives.

Re:Can't wrap my head around

[InsaneMosquito]

Wow. Way to make a shitty analogy.

Re:Can't wrap my head around

[NoSleepDemon]

Your reply is equally worthless

Re:Can't wrap my head around

[delinear]

How is it "obviously futile"? Lots of places in the world allow you to text emergency services - they don't make a big deal out of it, it just works. Likewise you might expect such a service would exist already for the benefit of the deaf/mute. Besides, if you have no choice in the matter (i.e. you can't get to a better position to call and if it works you might save some lives, your own included) then it would still be worth a try, even if you were 90% sure that it wasn't going to work. As for texting a friend and getting them to call 911... yes, if my friends at school had sent me a text to tell me they were being held hostage at gunpoint, I definitely would have believed them...

Re:Can't wrap my head around

[NoSleepDemon]

Well then it may potentially suck to be one of your friends

Re:Can't wrap my head around

[gnapster]

But if the FCC figures out a way to make it work, we will have the opposite problem: texting 911 does work, and people don't know it.

Until seeing this news item, I could not have said for certain that 911 dispatchers could not deal with text messages. I see no reason that they shouldn't, provided that they are able to add enough information to the protocols. Dispatchers are already able to deal with text-based communication for the deaf; why should text messages be so very different?

Re:Can't wrap my head around

[NoSleepDemon]

If the FCC figures out a way to make it work, you can bet that it'll be announced all over the place, entire companies will be formed just to market it, you'll see all kinds of dumb slogans on posters telling you how to text to 911, and rightfully so. The student's assumption that texting 911 would work with no proof that that was the case was a stupid one.

Re:Can't wrap my head around

[mr100percent]

Wouldn't the sound of texting or the ringer when it gets a reply be the giveaway then?

Re:Can't wrap my head around

[multipartmixed]

It is possible to use SMS with the phone in silent mode.

It is not possible to make a phone call with the human in silent mode.

Future Operator training

[portwojc]

Next will be 911 operators could have had responders on the scene faster if they just understood the messages.

Text Pictures from the Highway

[Doc Ruby]

I wish I could text pictures or video from the highway. I see people driving so dangerously that it's effectively assault, all the time. I can't drive 5 miles on the highway, or 5 minutes in a town/city, without seeing people texting while driving as they do something dangerous. I sometimes pull up next to them and take a picture with them with my phone that I keep in my dashboard, which used to get most of them to stop (though the past year or two it often sends them into an insane self-righteous rage).Taking the picture isn't distracting to me as I drive; it's about as distracting as punching an FM preset button, and I make sure I'm not changing lanes or in any other complex driving situation when I snap the picture. I yearn for the day when my car has 360 degree video all the time as part of its security system, which should connect to my phone or a car WWAN.

I wish I could then press a button to send the picture, or (even better) video, to 911. I'd then voice call 911 (on speakerphone), and give details. If the other driver were really nuts I might even follow them for a while, or just watch them careen off into traffic, updating the cops. I'd get their license plate in the shot. I'd show up to testify against them in court, swearing to the video evidence. And then maybe these lunatics might keep their deranged driving off the roads.

Re:Text Pictures from the Highway

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't care how careful you think are. Do your fellow cars a favor and stop taking "safety vigilante" pictures while driving. You are adding to the highway mayhem to stroke your ego.

Re:Text Pictures from the Highway

[rjstanford]

I wish I could text pictures or video from the highway .... I sometimes pull up next to them and take a picture with them with my phone .... Taking the picture isn't distracting to me as I drive ....

Ah... so when other people do it, its dangerous and they deserve to be reported to the police. But you, on the other hand, are a safe responsible phone user. Now it all makes sense.

Re:Text Pictures from the Highway

[NevarMore]

So how is you driving down the road using a camera any less dangerous than texting?
How is it that you paying so much attention to what the drivers in other cars are doing not distracting you from your own driving?

"I only do X in the car when its safe" is bullshit. You're driving a relatively heavy machine in an open environment. Its always dangerous. You always need to keep your head on a swivel. Control what you can.

See someone driving dangerously? Either drop back and leave them room, move over a lane and leave room, or use the accelerator and put 'em in your mirrors. Don't be a nanny and exacerbate the situation. You aren't the police and you aren't their mother.

Re:Text Pictures from the Highway

[Cwix]

What do you do with these pictures? What do you think 911 is going to tell you? Im sorry we will send an officer right out to arrest the person who didnt use blinkers..

I hope if they arrest the asshole for texting that they arrest you for filming them while driving.

Re:Text Pictures from the Highway

[Doc Ruby]

Because they are actually driving dangerously, while I am not. As I explained in detail. You're stupid. Stay away from traffic.

Re:Text Pictures from the Highway

[Doc Ruby]

Right now I can't do anything, except wait to hear that they've crashed and I can send the pictures as evidence it was their fault. I didn't say blinkers, I said actually dangerous driving. Though that often includes not using blinkers.

I don't expect 911 to "tell me" anything. I expect them to send highway patrol and catch the criminal I spotted who's endangering everyone else on the road.

You are stupid. Stay away from traffic.

Re:Text Pictures from the Highway

[Cwix]

Lol your funny. I'm the one who doesn't fuck with my cell while driving, while your running around trying to take pictures/video. Who do you think the better driver is?

If you really want to take fucking video get a dash cam, make a dash cam, whatever. Dont fuck with your cell cause that makes you a fucking hypocrite.

Re:Text Pictures from the Highway

[Donniedarkness]

The consensus here seems to be that you're more a problem than a solution. No matter how much good you think you're doing, you're not. You've openly admitted that you're angering the other drivers, which is certainly not safe for anyone.

It seems like your ego is more important to you than the safety of the people on the road.

Please don't walk away from this mad. Think about it some. Maybe our comments have some merit?

Also, you're stupid. Stay away from traffic.

Re:Text Pictures from the Highway

[NevarMore]

Do you understand why someone might see your actions as dangerous?

Texting while driving involves:
1. Some level of concentration to locate phone. Either by feel or sight
2. Activate, arm, open, phone text messaging application. Again possibly by feel, but still requires some effort.
3. Look at phone to read text message
4. Type text message, most people have to look
5. Hit send
6. Close or stow phone

Taking a picture while driving involves:
1. Locating your camera
2. Taking a lens cover off or waking camera from sleep
3. Looking, possibly at the camera, to line up the shot
4. Taking the shot
5. Verify/retake the shot
6. Close, sleep, stow the camera

You're performing the same steps. You still have to devote some level of concentration to dealing with the camera that you should be using for driving.

I don't expect you to agree with me, but can you at least understand why some of us might see what you're doing as dangerous?

If this is satire or a troll. I tip my hat to you, its a doozy.

Re:Text Pictures from the Highway

[Foobar of Borg]

I wish I could text pictures or video from the highway. I see people driving so dangerously that it's effectively assault, all the time. I can't drive 5 miles on the highway, or 5 minutes in a town/city, without seeing people texting while driving as they do something dangerous. I sometimes pull up next to them and take a picture with them with my phone that I keep in my dashboard, which used to get most of them to stop (though the past year or two it often sends them into an insane self-righteous rage).Taking the picture isn't distracting to me as I drive; it's about as distracting as punching an FM preset button, and I make sure I'm not changing lanes or in any other complex driving situation when I snap the picture. I yearn for the day when my car has 360 degree video all the time as part of its security system, which should connect to my phone or a car WWAN.

I wish I could then press a button to send the picture, or (even better) video, to 911. I'd then voice call 911 (on speakerphone), and give details. If the other driver were really nuts I might even follow them for a while, or just watch them careen off into traffic, updating the cops. I'd get their license plate in the shot. I'd show up to testify against them in court, swearing to the video evidence. And then maybe these lunatics might keep their deranged driving off the roads.

So, you're the idiot I saw swerving around on the road trying to take a picture of some guy texting while driving! Well, I got you, pal! You know what I did? I whipped out my handy-dandy video camera and recorded your dangerously swerving ass! So, suck on that!

Re:Text Pictures from the Highway

[MyLongNickName]

I was about about to respond with a "woosh", then I read the rest of Doc's posts. He really is that stupid. I really didn't think anyone could be that blatantly dumb and still be able to create an account on Slashdot.

Re:Text Pictures from the Highway

[clone52431]

Because they are actually driving dangerously, while I am not.

You are. You are also a self-righteous ass.

So now we’ve got two stupid drivers driving dangerously in close proximity. Pretty sure the total is greater than the sum of the halves here...

Re:Text Pictures from the Highway

[Anonymous Coward]

And you're actually acting self-righteous, while I am not. As I have not explained in detail, for it is self-evident. You're a jackass. Stay away from the Excellent Karma pool.

Re:Text Pictures from the Highway

[gnapster]

One of these days, he will show up in court to testify with his photographic evidence, and the defense will have a photo of him taking a photo. The verdict? Both of them get their licenses revoked.

Re:Text Pictures from the Highway

[Anonymous Coward]

What about this guy?

http://slashdot.org/~MichaelKristopeit162

Re:Text Pictures from the Highway

[Anonymous Coward]

"I was about about to respond with a "woosh", then I read the rest of Doc's posts."

So, how many whooshes...er, I mean, posts, is that exactly?

Re:Text Pictures from the Highway

[DavidTC]

First of all, yes, Doc Ruby really is that stupid and unaware. Trust me. Or he's a really weird troll, because he only take a weird position 1/10th of the time...the rest of the time, he takes a 'sanish' position, but doesn't seem to be able to argue it.

Secondly, actually driving next to people to take their picture probably counts as 'aggressive driving' in most states, on top of obviously being distracted driving. Deliberately harassing people while driving is illegal in many states.

Thirdly, if texting while driving is illegal under the law, texting 911 is also illegal. There are exceptions to the 'no cell phones while driving' laws to let you call 911, and those exceptions would presumably be extended texting 911, but only for actual emergencies that have actually happened, or someone threatening you, or something like that. In general, you can commit crimes to stop greater crimes...but you don't get to commit crimes to report, not even stop, just report, identical crimes. (That person broke into a house, I think I'll break into the police officer's house and leave them a note about it.)

Fourthly, taking pictures while driving can, strangely, violate another law about 'watching video while driving', a law intended to stop people from having DVD players installed in the car that the driver can see, but does indeed apply to cameras.

Demonstrating you're driving distractedly (Which is illegal) next to other people to take their picture (Which is illegal) by watching 'video' while driving (Which is illegal) and sending that while driving (Which is illegal) to the police (Which, for good measure, could be considered wasting 911's time, which is illegal) is about as spectacularly stupid as humanly imaginable.

They're kidding, right?

[snspdaarf]

Oh, come on. It's an emergency. Make a fuckin' phone call.
"H3LP TEY HZ GUNZ" is not going to cut it.
This is a time for clear and quick communication, not being fashionable.

Re:They're kidding, right?

[gay358]

Making a phone call is not always possible.

Re:They're kidding, right?

[Dracker]

What good is a phone call... if you're unable to speak?

Re:They're kidding, right?

[Myopic]

To be clear, are you merely saying that phoning 911 is smarter than texting 911, or are you further saying that texting 911 should by policy be disallowed?

Re:They're kidding, right?

[NiteShaed]

911: 911, what's your emergency?
Caller: There's a man with a gun in my house! I'm hiding in the closet right now....
911: Okay, does the intruder know you're there?
Caller: Well, he didn't, but unless he's deaf he can probably hear me talking to y-[BANG!]
911: Hello? Hello?

Re:They're kidding, right?

[Anonymous Coward]

And when said guy with a gun hears someone talking on a phone, perhaps he will decide that his Desert Eagle will quickly end that phone call. If I'm in a hostage situation, you can be sure the LAST thing I want to do is call attention to myself by talking into a phone.

Sure I could dial and stay silent, but I'd rather the cops know "held hostage at 123 workplace street 3 guys with guns" than "could be an accidental butt-dial for all we know, send a cop to knock on the door and check it out sometime"

Re:They're kidding, right?

[snspdaarf]

No. Let's use the VT incident. Yes, if the gunman is in the room with you, calling 911 is probably not a good thing to do. Of course, pulling the phone out to start texting is probably not either. If I were a deranged gunman, I would see anyone with an electronic device in their hand as someone doing a Bad Thing. So, I feel that this is not a good example of a need for texting. Also, a gun fired in a classroom building is going to leave little doubt as to what just happened. Gunpowder is not Hush-A-Boom. Even a .22 is damn loud indoors. If I heard gunshots in another room, I would call 911, not text.

Also, if I were hiding in a closet, I would be whispering into the phone, not talking as if the P.A. system in the auditorium had just gone out. So, again, I don't feel that is a good argument for 911 testing.

I will concede that I did not think about an injury that prevented speaking. I don't think Mr. Anderson would have benefited from texting, but someone in the real world just might.

In short, I would not argue against supporting it, for the rare times that it is the best/only way to send for help, but I believe those cases are quite rare, and the need for information exchange between the caller and 911 center is better served by a voice call.

911 Video

[dammy]

It would probably a nightmare for dispatchers, but having a live video feed from a 911 call would rock. Live video would give dispatchers a real world situational report to the officers or fire rescue units responding plus State Attorney's Office more evidence to prosecute criminals with. It probably would also push for larger wireless connection to field units to view what the dispatchers are seeing or replays of the video before reaching the scene.

Re:911 Video

[Lumpy]

Facetime 911 calls.

You just nailed what they REALLY need to allow.

Re:911 Video

[Anonymous Coward]

I agree. I think the texting part of this is interesting, but I find the video implication even better. You could show the 911 operator what's going on, which is even faster than talking. You could maybe even get a picture of the criminal(s) involved. Even if someone was about to shoot you, you could catch their face for one moment. Criminals would be less likely to commit the crime if they knew at any moment their face could be on a computer at the police station showing them committing the crime.

Better idea

[srussia]

Learn CPR, carry a gun.

Seriously, you do not want 911 in a crisis situation.

Re:Better idea

[Anonymous Coward]

I agree, a gun and CPR can be used to solve almost any crisis situation.

Trapped in a car? Use gun on self.
Come to the scene of an accident? Use CPR. If CPR doesn't work use gun.

Whatever you do don't call 911. It's just a waste of time and resources.

Re:Better idea

[NevarMore]

+1 at parent. Thanks for the reminder about CPR, I need to renew my Red Cross training. It'll look good next to my concealed carry permit.

A gun isn't for everyone and there are places you still aren't legally allowed to carry one. You need to have a plan for when the shit hits the fan. More often than not this is just being calm and knowing some basic first aid. Its not all goblins and robbers and boogeymen.

I hear good things about the NRA "Refuse To Be A Victim" seminars. Despite being NRA they aren't firearms focused. They're about being prepared for the rare event when things go bad so that you aren't a victim. Spotting trouble before it happens and having a plan.

Re:Better idea

[Cwix]

I hope you dont have a car accident, I dont think CPR or a gun will help there.

Re:Better idea

[Eudial]

I see you attended the Jack Bauer school of CPR. Find someone unconscious? Forget chest compressions: Hook 'em up to a car battery and pistol whip them until they start talking.

Re:Better idea

[Anonymous Coward]

Learn CPR, carry a gun.

CPR is for keeping circulation going till a doctor arrives with a defibrillator and stuff, it alone doesn't do much good in actually restarting the heart, that only works in the movies. So you better not miss the 911 call.

Re:Better idea

[Anonymous Coward]

So waddya do if you accidentally shoot yourself ?

Re:Better idea

[Anonymous Coward]

No, I've given up on 24 after the first season. Not really my genre.
In my home country you have to take a basic (8 hour) first aid course to get a drivers license. They emphasized that you should secure the site of the accident and call help first and then try to keep the wounded alive until help arrives.
My also mandatory military service taught me that carrying a gun around all day is mostly annoying and that you can't trust other people with guns. There was that one incident where that idiot sitting next to me almost blew his head off with a blank while violating three guns safety rules at once.

Re:Better idea

[Cwix]

Give your self CPR.. DUHH

Re:Better idea

[NiteShaed]

Which do I use to put out a raging fire in my office building, the gun, or the CPR?

Re:Better idea

[mrvan]

loved ones, data, possessions

Re:Better idea

[sznupi]

Defibrillator also doesn't do much good in actually restarting the heart, at least not like it works in the movies (certainly not with flatline...)

Links to proprosed rule

[beetle496]

As announced in the Federal Register, this is actually a proposed rule which is open for public comments.

Already In Place

[Bigbutt]

At least it's started. There was a news article last year about a successful text to 911 in Blackhawk Iowa.

Ah, here's a link to a press release about it:

http://www.intrado.com/assets/documents/blackhawk.pdf

[John]

We want smaller government. Not a nanny state.

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

If only $something was possible we would have averted $tragedy is a very elastic standard. We can not use that statement alone to justify anything. OK, if people were able to get to the emergency responders via text message and show them their mobile camera we might have saved a few lives. But if we force every person in the USA to drive M1A1 Abrams battle tank for commuting we would save a few lives in auto collisions too. (But lot more pedestrian causalities but that is a different story.)

If people are saying, "hey texting is cheap, mobile video camera are ubiquitous, let us see if we can take advantage of this to improve the emergency response" it is a valid statement/claim. But dredging up some vague anecdotal evidence where such a thing might have helped should not be the basis for an argument.

The tragedy is vast majority of the public and most of the journalists go for the anecdotes and miss the forest for the trees.

BTW, all those people crying hoarse "We want smaller government, less taxes, we want the government off our backs" to jump in argue why this level of expectation from the government is a bad idea. If you do nothing to reduce the public expectation of the government services, you will never ever reduce spending. Starving the beast wont work. Deficits will not shrink.

Re:We want smaller government. Not a nanny state.

[Anonymous Coward]

The above is a great example of knee-jerk libertarian tirade. Someone suggests a common-sense idea for how to take an existing public-safety service (perhaps the most reasonable and universally welcome function of government) and improve it, and they go off on a tirade about encroaching governmental nanny state with hysterical analogies to forcing people to drive tanks. And you wonder why the Libertarian Party gets even less traction at the polls than the Natural Law Party? It's because of nutcases like this.

Re:We want smaller government. Not a nanny state.

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

Quite sad you are responding to the subject line not the posting.

Re:We want smaller government. Not a nanny state.

[Myopic]

Hmmm. I have carefully considered what you said and decided that I want a big-government nanny state and am willing to pay for it with higher taxes.

Sexting.

[Anonymous Coward]

Nice, so inherently kids will now be sexting 9-1-1 as well.

Re:Better idea - remember the saying

[SargentDU]

Police can be there in minutes when seconds count. Having a gun, is there immediately, when and where needed. Enough said.

311 needs this at least as much as 911

[cduffy]

Hmm. I'd care about this much more for 311 (that is, the non-emergency catch-all city services line). Email wouldn't be bad either.

Seriously -- being able to send a photo of a pothole or a tree branch hanging too close to the road or someone illegally parked in a bike lane on a curve after a steep downhill (yes, there's an area on my commute matching exactly that description) with a GPS tag on the photo and a line or two of text would be much more convenient than pulling over and spending 5 minutes trying to figure out the address, walk the operator through deciding how to file the ticket (is it an immediate safety hazard or a maybe-next-week issue?), etc.

Re:311 needs this at least as much as 911

[BJ_Covert_Action]

Huh, I didn't even know 311 offered those kind of services. There have been a few times I've been out and about and saw something that I wanted to contact public works about but, alas, never had the number. Thanks for the advice. I always just thought 311 was a band. Thanks for the info.

Re:311 needs this at least as much as 911

[Anonymous Coward]

This is a great idea, especially if you see something that's iffy (read not an emergency) such as vandalism, public drunkenness, or using windows phone 7

Re:311 needs this at least as much as 911

[swillden]

Very cool idea. Automatically clustering the complaints by location and keyword would make it simple for the city employees to handle a large volume of complaints, too -- which would be important because if it were easy to make such complaints, the volume would rise dramatically. But there should be plenty of information to collapse 100 complaints about the same pothole into one entry in a ticketing system. The number of complaints in a cluster is also a clue to its priority.

Re:311 needs this at least as much as 911

[Z80xxc!]

Portland, Oregon actually has implemented something similar to this. They created iPhone and Android applications for reporting potholes, broken glass in the street, graffiti, clogged storm drains, etc. Each report is tagged with GPS coordinates (which the user can precisely choose on a map, to show where exactly the problem is), and can include photos, videos, and text descriptions of the problem. The app then shows all the reports you have submitted, and whether they have been dealt with yet. It's pretty nifty, but it would be even better if non-smartphone users like myself could also submit reports via MMS.

Re:311 needs this at least as much as 911

[adolf]

I think that if your fancy-pants phone can do all of that with a text message (my Droid certainly can't do that precise combination of things), then it would do every bloody bit as well to just send the folks an email instead.

I'm just saying.

Re:311 needs this at least as much as 911

[cduffy]

Actually -- based on feedback from another commenter in this thread, I'm thinking of proposing to Austin (via the bicycle program manager, who knows the rest of the folks involved) that we consider adopting Portland's open source smartphone apps for problem-reporting. Haven't looked into what the server side needs to implement yet, but I'd be surprised if it'd be too ridiculous.

Re:311 needs this at least as much as 911

[adolf]

The smartphone app sounds like a very good idea. I read that comment not long after I posted mine.

But it'd cost money, however little, to implement for a new city. Accordingly, it may take a bit of a push to get it moving. Perhaps if 311 were to publish an email address that would be monitored regularly by the same folks who man the phones, it'd be an inexpensive (or free) stopgap.

Or, it might be useful for the non-smartphone (but reasonably savvy) crowd: Even my old and crappy Motorola flip-phone could send photo attachments with an email with almost no effort.

Good luck.

Other way

[wraithguard01]

I'm a volunteer firefighter, and our dispatch center already sends us texts, as well as the typical page out over radio. That system proves incredibly useful for us. There is no way for us to text back through the system though, and the number is not a 911 number, it's a normal SMS short code number. Of course, going the other way is a different situation entirely, but my point is, I think that this shows that it is inevitable that texting is going to soon become a part of normal 911 operations.

I feel bad for the 911 operators

[Tr3vin]

I accidentally a whole coke bottle.

soo

[Anonymous Coward]

ok great. should've been done about 10 years ago, but still.

the real question is, why the post on slashdot?

Re:soo

[gnapster]

Because right now the powers-that-be are soliciting public comments on the topic.

Call first, then text

[mutube]

I worked in an ambulance control and each dispatch desk had mobile phones available to be used as neccessary - I used one to communicate by text with someone stuck up a mountain with a mobile phone running out of charge.

I can see how in a school shooting it would be useful for the caller to communicate without speaking (giving away their location) but I would maintain that a voice call should be initiated first. Even if the caller is not speaking background audio provides valuable situational awareness.

How many of the texts sent in the incident that prompted this would be classified as useful? If a 911 text asks for help, without mentioning the shooting/gunman (people neglect to mention the most bizarre things in emergency situations) you've just brought the shooter more targets.

Plus text-only would be pranked to hell. I wouldn't want to be the one charged with reading what came through on that service.

Next Gen 911 to include photo & video

[33_softly]

This article is just a little interesting. In fact the NG911 is being worked out and will eventually developed. http://www.911dispatch.com/911/nextgen_911.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_Generation_9-1-1

Twitter!

[Hassman]

1) Get a Twitter subscription
2) Monitor #911
3) DONE!

Re:Twitter!

[Anonymous Coward]

3) Problem, Officer?

hahahah

[mace9984]

"OMG my bff and I just got muggged on 6th st." Dispatch - "We'll send an officer, would you like to post this to facebook?"

It would never work.

[Anonymous Coward]

Sms uses the backbone of wireless signals, and does not gaurntee delivery. Sms are first stored on the tower and only transmitted on when the next tower down the line is free. there is a set limit to the storage on any one tower and it can get swamped easily, deleting messages off of the front of the queue. In times of high peak usage ( new year, football games etc) sms's will get dropped, and some will stick around to be delivered hours or days later. Not exactly going to help if your bleeding to death.

Re:It would never work.

[DrgnDancer]

It remains better than the alternative if you can't speak for some reason though. I don't think anyone is arguing that this should be a primary means of communication with 911, just that it's a useful option to have. The vast majority of the time, text message go through in a quick and timely manner. There are clearly a limited, but existent, number of situations where texting 911 would be useful. Texting systems are cheap and ubiquitous. Why not have the option open?

Re:It would never work.

[gnapster]

(+1, only compelling argument against so far)

01189998819991197253

[PhrstBrn]

Will 01189998819991197253 get the same love and care? I want to make sure my, better looking, emergency services are just as prepared.

I'm surprised that the 911 system

[crovira]

didn't use the latest technology: carrier pigeons.

Seriously, the guys who came up with the 911 system are long gone and nobody has taken over their function. Nobody's minding the store.

While the template for establishing a 911 system is there, there's nobody looking at the adaptability and malleability of the communication infrastructure.

SMS on cell phones is quieter than using voice, its cheaper, and its ubiquitous. No having to run somewhere to find a quiet spot, away from the shooting, to call dispatch. You just hit the dirt and text your ass off.

It would help if the 911 system could grab you GPS location as well as a message. You don't have to reply with where you are, which is very helpful if you can't talk for any reason.

Re:I'm surprised that the 911 system

[Reece400]

Location is still important in many cases. for example if your in a large condo, which floor/unit are you at?

Re:I'm surprised that the 911 system

[Shakrai]

No having to run somewhere to find a quiet spot, away from the shooting, to call dispatch. You just hit the dirt and text your ass off.

Get a concealed carry license and you'll have another option besides "Hit the dirt and pray the police respond to my SMS before he kills me."

How many non-techies even know Morse,

[crovira]

the code and who the nineteenth century inventor was?

Seriously... Do you expect some eighteen year old in this days and age to know Morse code? Get real...

Re:How many non-techies even know Morse,

[tycoex]

I think most people have at least heard of Morse code. If from nothing else, from movies/tv shows where ships have to tap out SOS.

My nuggets!

[motherpusbucket]

This should help McDonald's manage their McNugget stock better. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,504125,00.html

This is about privacy, too.

[Oxford_Comma_Lover]

> Texting is a lot more silent if a criminal is nearby and might hear you, also a lot of people are idiots.

The regulation also has privacy implications: ...
We seek comment on a number of issues initially raised in the Location Accuracy NPRM, including: Whether we should consider more stringent location parameters, ... the format in which accuracy data should be automatically provided to PSAPs; how to address location accuracy while roaming; how location information and accuracy can be improved in more challenging environments; and whether location accuracy standards should include an elevation (Z-axis) component.
        4. In the NOI, we request comment on whether we should require interconnected VoIP service providers to automatically identify the geographic location of a customer without the customer's active cooperation. We also seek comment on what E911 obligations, if any, should apply to VoIP services that are not fully interconnected to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Additionally, we seek comment on the impact of NG911 developments on location accuracy and automatic location identification (ALI). ...

Fire.

[pantheonwhaley]

Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to inform you of a fire that has broken out on the premises of 123 Cavendon Road... no, that's too formal. Fire - exclamation mark - fire - exclamation mark - help me - exclamation mark. 123 Cavendon Road. Looking forward to hearing from you. Yours truly, Maurice Moss.

SOS or UGU?

[tepples]

Unless you use two-finger taps for dash, the listener can't tell a slight pause at the end of a symbol from no pause at the end of a symbol.

txt to 911

[Anonymous Coward]

OMFG being held at gun point LOLZ

Like real estate -- location, location, location

[niftymitch]

Good GPS location is so very important. Some idiot was sold a bill of bunk that tower location was sufficient.

Tower location is not sufficient. I have had cause to call 911 from a non GPS phone and they cannot get even close and further they cannot even lookup the address of a company when you can see the big logo on the building. Big as in Google even.

Heck I could see a fire station flag 400 yards away and they could not look that up either.

The good news is that the poor guy I found laying in the middle of the street in a pile like a discarded trash bag atop his bent bicycle was OK.

location, location, location; they send the same equipment no mater what you say.

Future epic 911 video call

[Mathness]

Let me be the first to congratulate the person who manage to make a 911 video call where Rick Astley is present. :)

Its called a sight picture

[RobertLTux]

if they are looking for large scale movement (you running or trying to fight back) then they might ignore small movements like your hands

Please Don't

[Anonymous Coward]

Most people have no realization of how the actual E911 system works. Assuming that the person dialing 911 has intentionally dialing 911, and that is a big assumption as we get hundreds of pocket/butt/child/whatever dials a day, most people state their problem and demand the cops at a certain location. The vast majority of calls are not emergencies and should not be reported by 911. A verbal dispute with the landlord over the rent is not an emergency. The neighbor's cat on your car is not an emergency. Children playing football on the street is not an emergency. Talking is faster than texting. The dispatcher needs to ask you specific questions to determine where you are, what the problem is, what type of resources should be dispatched, and what your priority is in the dispatch queue. Texting would not allow this, assuming the dispatcher can even understand the text speak.

Speaking of location, many people assume that if you call 911 from a cell phone, the magic GPS fairies will take your location to the police who will pinpoint your exact location down to the milimeter. Let me assure you that this is not correct. The FCC only requires that your location on a handset be narrowed down to within 300 meters. That's a big area. Most calls that are received with no one talking on the other end are not located. We will dispatch units to search for the caller, but it can be a needle in a haystack. Which door to bust down? Which car to stop and search? Which fence to climb over? The answer is none. We can't just kick down doors on random searches. If you absolutely can do nothing else, the most important thing you can do is accurately state your location.

Using Virginia Tech is a bad example. The bad guy in that situation was an active shooter. He was killing people regardless of what those people did. He did not care if they were running, hiding, or on a phone. Possible limitations on getting a phone signal indoors, people should have been calling, not texting.

Let's not even get into prank and accidental 911 texts.

Back in 1984...

[Fuzzums]

Who you gonna text???
Ghost Busters!!!!!!

How many movies have used More code

[crovira]

in the last 20 years.

You don't even need it to get your ham license anymore.

I suspect that most people have only "heard" of Morse code if they're over 25 years old. "...---..." is a dead language.

Apart from that, why bother.

Re:How many movies have used More code

[tycoex]

Maybe I'm a bit on the odd side for my age but I'm only 20 years old.

It's about ***** time!

[teachknowlegy]

I had to call 911 *this morning* and could not get through. My kid was choking on vomit (sorry for the graphical detail there). I had just told a caller that I was not able to stay on the phone because my son was sick and I wanted to be more attentive (before he was choking, btw). I was behind the wheel on a Bluetooth headset, so really I was just politely trying to get off the phone so I could drive him to the doctor. Then he started choking. I hit 911 while running to his side (had to get out of car and run around it due to large bench seat in way). I HAD NO SERVICE! The call didn't go through. I was trying to tend to my son, but I couldn't get him to breathe. He would stop choking briefly and as soon as I got in the car's driver seat and took off it would happen again. THANK GOODNESS we were close (right next to) to a country shop and the hours in the day were right that they were JUST OPENING. I asked them to call and we got him to the hospital, but out in this part of the country that could have been his life had things been just five minutes prior. When we were in the ambulance (before it moved) I looked at my phone to try and call the wife. I had no call bars, but full SMS, email, web browsing, etc! All that communication and none where I needed it. I ended up getting right through via text...and then she freaked because I didn't answer the return phone call, go figure.

A two year old can hit the dirt and dial 911...

[crovira]

Some of the incidents have been happening around primary schools and even around day care centers.

I really don't think I'd trust a two year old to be physically able to handle the recoil off a 9mm never mind have the self restraint not to use it to "play 'Cowboys and Indians'"*

The "age of majority" is eighteen year for a reason.

But that no reason to lock up your kids until they're past it.

*) True story: Our neighborhood in Ville laSalle, Québec had two "weak minded" brothers who'd go rat hunting at a nearby empty field/stretch of river under the bridge. They'd use REAL hand guns, .22 caliber pistols rather than BB guns.

Much to everybody's relief, they just stopped showing up at school one day. Stopped showing up anywhere. Our guess was they played "Duel Under The Sun" and shot each other.

They were bullies, pathological liars and violent. Couldn't have happened to a more deserving couple of kids.

Re:A two year old can hit the dirt and dial 911...

[sznupi]

Wasn't the disappearance resolved?...

What about the deaf?

[Anonymous Coward]

Enabling text to 911/999/111/000 type services is nothing new, just recently New Zealand activated texts to 111 for registered deaf people. No more rushing to a teletype machine to report that your house is on fire.

There are many legitimate uses for this, but there is an inherit risk of the non-confirmation of receipt of such messages causing a false sense of security, after all, it has been proven that it's possible to create a fake cellphone tower that can intercept calls/text messages. So I guess this means we'll start seeing killers/bank robbers/etc carry around a high powered mini-cell-tower.

At least with CALLING emergency services you can tell that someone has picked up.

Hell dude, you're writing on /.

[crovira]

of course you're odd.

You're in an intellectual elite.

How many techies are there compared to the general population?

How many of those are just doing their job and really don't care to study it any further.

Proof that you can die and NOT be missed.

[crovira]

Like I said, they just disappeared.

They could have been taking a dirt nap, (favored destination given their lack of rationality and propensity for violence,) disappeared into the juvie system, or into the adult prisoner population, screwed with the wrong people and got turned into a pile of broken Q-Tips.

We didn't know, and we didn't care. (The difference between ignorance and apathy.)

Nobody ever spoke of them after that day.

Re:Proof that you can die and NOT be missed.

[sznupi]

Hm, it also looks a bit like some public secret, like you all had a really good reason to not talk about it ;)

BTW, practically nobody is missed, pretty quickly. Hardly anybody is even aware how estimates put the number of dead homo sapiens at 100+ billion. And can you say anything about your great-g-g-grandmother? (the one from the side of your mother, grandfather, great-grandfather, great-g-grandmother)

Agree

[PhinMak]

Agree. I had a txt conversation with my father as he was sailing past Bermuda earlier this week. Voice was not available, but we could txt just fine. I believe it had everything to do with the quality of service. If voice911 is not available but I still have a minimal signal, I'd hope there was some method of calling for help beyond txt'ing a friend.

Enabling complacency

[Francofille]

It's already hard enough to get people around you to take responsibility for getting help in an emergency. SMS is NOT guaranteed delivery. I occasionally receive text messages that were sent to me 4, 6, 9 hours earlier.

911 will follow up on phone calls even if there's no speaking or a hangup.

Here's an idea for people in a situation where they are able to text but not to place a phone call: text someone who can make a phone call and cares enough about your welfare to bother.

That was actually the title of a song

[crovira]

written by a friend of mine.

"You cannot and not be missed; someone's bound to know, your mother, or a friend..." -Clive Moody

In these far more mobile times, lots of people die and are not missed. Some deservedly so.

The number of dead is rising just as exponentially as the number of living and therefore ex-living.

That's the beauty/shame of living on the cusp of an exponential curve.

There are more people alive right now than have ever lived before ... period.

My family dates back to Andalusia, Spain on my father's side (grandfather was a Spanish civil war draft dodger [and where we got the brains in the family, :-]) and an English/Scottish/Iroquois mix on my mother's side (who was no slouch either on the brains side.)

Grand-ma on my mother's side is where I got my fondness for drink (and my grand-pa, also on my mothers side, is where I got the strength to put the bottle down,) while ancestry on my father's side is where I learned how to take it easy...

If you want to talk genealogy I can dig deep.

I'm sure I've get some ancestors who got Giordano Bruno's wonderful treatment at the hands of the hands of the Catholic Church in Spain. I even have a coffee mug made out to/in his honor.

Re:That was actually the title of a song

[sznupi]

There are more people alive right now than have ever lived before ... period.

That's an urban myth, really. 100+ billion, according to most of the estimates (I think it works out to an average of around 1000 remains per km^2 of land surface, excluding Antarctic; quite feeble they are...well, and easily scattered)

Not exactly an exponential curve, too - present birth rates and number of annual births are very notably lower from their peak. And expected to decline further.

Yeah, it's often quite doable to dig up some genealogy. But still quite recent, still small bits (often also what is essentially a family mythology). And we generally don't care anyway. Plus at some still very recent point (say, 9g-grandmother), saying anything about our ancestors boils down to statistics.