Texting 911: Might this have an impact on "MWAG" calls?

[ArcadiaGP]

Text 911: Calling for Help Without Making a Call - ABC News

So the carriers are going to allow texting incidents to 911. I was thinking about if this might cause an uptick in MWAG calls to 911? Let's say you're sitting in a restaraunt, and the guy next to you is shaking in his boots. Typically, maybe he wouldn't call 911 right then and there, because you could overhear it...

...But if he can just text "omg there's a scary guy with a gun help meeee" to 911, no one would be the wiser...

 

[Relatively Ninja]

I don't mean to waltz in here and shoot your theory full of holes, but... That's pretty much what I'm about to do. Currently, there are only a handful of emergency call centers that are capable of accepting 911 texts, so the chances of that happening in Indiana (at least for now) are pretty slim. Furthermore, the actual text itself must contain your full name and address, as well as your description of the crime scene. That pretty much eliminates the possibility of an anonymous 911 text. In addition to those to points, the 911 operators are asking that this only be used in instances where it isn't feasible to place a call; hopefully this would dissuade people from texting 911 for MWAG calls. Interesting theory though.

Engadget article:
Now you can text 911... just not from everywhere

List of localities accepting 911 texts:
(PDF) http://transition.fcc.gov/cgb/text-to-911-deployments.pdf

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Something I've wondered about: What percentage of MWAG calls are from people actually afraid something criminal is happening vs. those that call just to be a pain in the gun carrier's ***.

 

[KellyinAvon]

WIBC has been running spots about this. Don't these young folks know you can SPEAK into a phone?
Dial 911, wait for the dispatcher and hang up. Police will arrive.
Then again, with all the people glued to their smartphones, I don't think most would notice the criminal activity, or that they walked into a street, or a fountain.

 

[Paul30]

Don't these young folks know you can SPEAK into a phone?

Texting has it's place, and is something anyone who doesn't know how to do should learn as a basic survival tool. A text will get out when there isn't enough signal to get out, or when the cell towers are too congested to get a connection for a call. During the world trade center bombing the cell towers were unable to connect many calls but the texts were getting through. Another reason they are a good idea is if the kid is home and someone breaks in, they can quietly text from a closet instead of giving away their position by speaking. I had a relative who never sent text until they moved and their phone was not able to hold a strong enough signal on the tower to make a call. They learned to text and used texting as a reliable communication option until they could change carriers to one that had better service in their area. It's just another tool for the job.

 

[Birds Away]

I don't mean to waltz in here and shoot your theory full of holes, but... That's pretty much what I'm about to do. Currently, there are only a handful of emergency call centers that are capable of accepting 911 texts, so the chances of that happening in Indiana (at least for now) are pretty slim. Furthermore, the actual text itself must contain your full name and address, as well as your description of the crime scene. That pretty much eliminates the possibility of an anonymous 911 text. In addition to those to points, the 911 operators are asking that this only be used in instances where it isn't feasible to place a call; hopefully this would dissuade people from texting 911 for MWAG calls. Interesting theory though.

Engadget article:
Now you can text 911... just not from everywhere

List of localities accepting 911 texts:
(PDF) http://transition.fcc.gov/cgb/text-to-911-deployments.pdf

Considering how many 911 calls I have read about where people call to complain about service at a fast food restaurant I am not optimistic about them being dissuaded by anything.

 

[Gluemanz28]

It would allow for people to be a little more discreet and not make a scene.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/29498350/...man-has-meltdown-over-mcnuggets/#.U33jVNq9KSM

 

[nakinate]

With the way I have seen some people type/text I am sure we'll have some entertaining reading in the coming months. Also, autocorrect could make for some interesting situations.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Dial 911, wait for the dispatcher and hang up. Police will arrive.

If you're on a cell phone, police will roll through the general area but in an urban area probably won't know exactly what address you're at.

The *only* use I see for this is domestics. It'd be easy to discretely text a cry for help. We've had people call 911 and pretend they were ordering a pizza, talking to their mother, etc. This would work for those times when even a fake conversation wouldn't. Invariably, there will be uses I don't see, but that's the only thing I can think of.

 

[eldirector]

I use Twitter for my emergencies.

#helpimgettingmugged #hurraythecopsarehere

 

[SteveM4A1]

I use Twitter for my emergencies.

#helpimgettingmugged #hurraythecopsarehere

Love it.

 

[ModernGunner]

...Dial 911, wait for the dispatcher and hang up. Police will arrive...

Actually, unless there's a pressing need to do so for safety reasons, DON'T hang up.

 

[GIJEW]

Regarding the misuse '911', charging people a 'service charge' for rolling PD/FD/para-medic for no good reason, ought to cut back on that. All the shannon-watts out there would try to claim that any MAWG is a threat but the .gov probably wouldn't want to give up the $ when there wasn't any threatening behavior accompanying the tool.

 

[MisterChester]

With the way I have seen some people type/text I am sure we'll have some entertaining reading in the coming months. Also, autocorrect could make for some interesting situations.

"there's a guy with a bun here"

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Text to 911 now available in Marion County | Fox 59

 

[terrehautian]

Vigo county has text to 911, you full phone number appears to dispatch and they will call you back if you don't respond and don't know if it is a true emergency or not.

 

[stephen87]

Bartholomew County has text to 911 and it pops up with full numbers as well.