Text-to-911 now available in some counties for Verizon customers

By Lesley Weidenbener
TheStatehouseFile.com

Thousands of Hoosiers will now be able to text 911 for help and be connected to their local emergency centers – although the service is not yet available in all areas or through all mobile carriers.

This map from the Statewide 911 Board shows counties participating in the text-to-911 program. Those in orange have the program implemented now.
This map from the Statewide 911 Board shows counties participating in the text-to-911 program. Those in orange have the program implemented now.
State officials say the new 911 texting service will be especially helpful for people who are deaf or can’t speak – or for anyone who is in a dicey situation that makes talking dangerous.

But law enforcement officials said most people should continue to call 911 whenever possible. It’s faster, emergency responders can better pinpoint a location and calls are more reliable.

Barry Ritter, executive director of the Statewide 911 Board, said the texting service is “a major step forward for public safety.”

“Indiana has one of the most successful 911 programs in the U.S. and this project is the largest scale rollout of text-to-911 in our nation,” he said.

For now, the service is available for customers of Verizon Wireless in 66 of the state’s 92 counties. AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint are expected to go live with the program in the next several weeks.

In addition, state officials say they expect more counties will soon join the program, which is voluntary and free to local emergency agencies.

Tippecanoe County is among those who have gone live with the service. Sheriff Tracy Brown, who serves on the state 911 board, said that’s important because the thousands of Purdue University use their mobile phones and texting as their primary communications tools.

“Their cell phone is their connection to the rest of the world,” he said. “For this generation – and many others – text messaging is the reason the cell phone was created.”

Already, about 85 percent to 90 percent of all 911 calls come from mobile phones. Updates over the past decade in technology mean that those calls quickly reach emergency dispatchers, who can nearly pinpoint the location of the caller.

But texting technology has not caught up. State officials say there is a 20 to 30 second delay between when someone texts 911 and the message reaches dispatchers.

Diane Hazel of Indianapolis served as a sign language interpreter Wednesday at the Statehouse as Barry Ritter, executive director of the Statewide 911 Board, announced that thousands of Hoosiers will now be able to text 911 for help. The service is expected to be most helpful to people who are deaf or unable to speak clearly. Photo by Lesley Weidenbener, TheStatehouseFile.com
Diane Hazel of Indianapolis served as a sign language interpreter Wednesday at the Statehouse as Barry Ritter, executive director of the Statewide 911 Board, announced that thousands of Hoosiers will now be able to text 911 for help. The service is expected to be most helpful to people who are deaf or unable to speak clearly. Photo by Lesley Weidenbener, TheStatehouseFile.com
Also, emergency workers can’t locate the caller from a text message; it only narrows the area.

That’s why state officials have launched an information campaign – with the slogan “B 4 U TXT, 911 VOICE is best” – urging Hoosiers to text only when calling is not an option.

“We all know text messaging can sometimes be delayed and sometimes text messages aren’t clear,” said Indiana State Police Capt. Dave Bursten. “Autocorrect can change ‘my house is on fire’ to ‘my horse is on fire.’”