Marsh urges 911 call centers to accept text messages on The Murfreesboro Post

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Marsh urges 911 call centers to accept text messages

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Posted: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 5:10 pm

A resolution moving through the Tennessee General Assembly urges local 911 call centers to accept text messages.

House Joint Resolution 746, sponsored by Rep. Pat Marsh of Shelbyville, highlights the need for Tennessee’s 911 system to receive a “digital upgrade.”

“We’re pleased that Rep. Marsh has brought attention to this issue,” said Lynn Questell, executive director of the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board. “Most people don’t know that you can’t text 911 currently. It just doesn’t work. We are in the process of upgrading our infrastructure to take it from the old analog system to new, Internet Protocol (IP) based digital technology.”

Marsh says he brought the resolution in response to concerns from his constituents.

“People have asked me why they can’t text 911,” Marsh said. “Now, I can tell them we just don’t have the technology yet. But I can also tell them that Tennessee is poised to be a national leader in digital 911.”

Questell said the state’s current 911 infrastructure needs the upgrade in order to keep up with emerging technology like Internet-based phone service and texting.

“What we have now is a system that is challenged,” Questell said. “But, we’ve prepared for that. We’re on the verge of a statewide project to digitalize our 911 system. This will mean a more efficient, more intelligent emergency response.”

Questell is referring to the state’s Next Generation 911 (NG 911) project, which should begin deployment in late 2010. The conversion process is similar to the recent conversion of televisions from analog to digital. It will involve the deployment of an IP platform specifically for 911 and the purchase and deployment of new equipment at 911 call centers across the state.

“Once the NG 911 project is complete, Tennesseans will have access to the best technology available to coordinate emergency response,” said Randy Porter, Chair of the Emergency Communications Board.

The TECB was created by the General Assembly in 1998 to assist ECDs’ boards of directors in the areas of management, operations and accountability, with the goal of establishing reliable emergency communications for all citizens of the state.

It’s a successful formula; in 2005, Tennessee became the third state in the nation to become Phase II ready, meaning a 911 operator can obtain a wireless caller’s number and location information. In 2005, Tennessee received an award from the Congressional E911 Institute for having the nation’s best state 911 system.

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Member Opinions:

By: thankyouforsmoking on 2/18/10
Texting 911? Seriously? I'm sorry but that sounds kind of ridiculous. How in the world is a dispatcher supposed to be able to receive enough information via a text message or two to find out the who, what, when, and where of the situation? Also, "most people don't know that you can’t text 911"? I've never even heard of anyone trying to text 911. I say we save the money on the texting upgrade and stick with old fashioned phone calls.

By: MboroBlueEyes on 2/18/10
I can't see how texting 911 would be beneficial over calling 911 except for maybe two circumstances. The first being that the victim (or person contacting emergency personnel) isn't able to speak to the dispatcher for whatever reason. The second being an MMS message to supplement a phone call, such as a picture that was taken that could identify a suspect.