OMG help pls! An emergency call center in Waterloo, Iowa, is the first in the United States to accept text messages.
Unfortunately, there's a catch: You have to be a subscriber to i wireless, a local T-Mobile affiliate, to use the service within Black Hawk County. Other distressed texters will get a message telling them to call instead, the Associated Press reports.
Still, emergency texting is a good idea that will hopefully catch on in other parts of the country. In addition to helping deaf or hard-of-hearing callers, I can imagine texting would be advantageous when there's too much noise to hear or be heard, or in the case of a burglary or kidnapping, when making noise could put the caller in danger.
Officials stress that calling is still the best way to reach 911 unless voice communication isn't possible.
The call center upgrade was done by Intrado, a Denver-based company that provides services for emergency call centers. The company is using Waterloo as a test run, and intends to expand the service to other areas. Future upgrades to the service could also allow people to send photos or video, which could help responders find a location or a suspect.
The ability to text 911 is another sign of how popular texting has become. Last year, mobile phone users in the United States sent one trillion text messages. A press release from Intrado cites this figure in justifying the need for adding SMS to emergency services.
