I saw this on LifeHacker yesterday, and felt obligated to share. It looks like Durham, NC (along with a host of other cities) is gaining the ability to text message 911 in an emergency. The LifeHacker article talks about this being beneficial for people who are deaf and cannot make a phone call, and I agree that is a big benefit, but I think they overlooked another benefit that it allows normal citizens to silently call for help should they be stuck in a situation where talking to a 911 operator would blow their cover (think active shooter). On top of that, many times a cell phone may not have enough signal to get out a call, but SMS text messages can still get sent.
Spread the word, I think this is a service that really could save lives in an emergency.
Good info. Thanks for passing this along!
Yes, I support the idea as good. Now, we still know that from the time of the report to 911 operator until the first police arrive is probably too late for a “active shooter” event. So, take of immediate threats first and then call or text 911
Oh yeah, this definitely isn’t a reason not to carry, but I still think it’s great. Just think, in the future we may be able to send photos and live stream video to Law Enforcement as well.