Future 911 program 'may accept text and video messages'

The US Federal Communication Commission (FCC) is thinking about updating the 911 emergency call product to accept photo, text and video messages. avkosh auto insurance

Roughly 70% of 911 calls are already becoming made out of cellular telephones, mentioned FCC chairman Julius Genachowski.

However the 911 product doesn't at this time "support the communication equipment of tomorrow", he extra.

The FCC mentioned the Virginia Tech massacre was an incident when 911 multimedia engineering could are actually employed.

Thirty-two folks were left dead after a pupil opened fire around the Virginia Tech university campus in 2007.

"Some students and witnesses experimented with to text 911 throughout that emergency and as we know, those messages under no circumstances went as a result of and were under no circumstances received by native 911 dispatchers," Mr Genachowski mentioned.

But those multimedia messages could soon be answered due to broadband-enabled Next Generation 911, Mr Genachowski mentioned, in a speech with the Arlington County Emergency Middle in Virginia.

"Even although cellular phones would be the system of decision for many 911 callers, and we mainly use our phones to text, right now, you can not text 911. It really is time to provide 911 in to the digital age."
Complex product

A product that might make it easy for individuals to report crimes not having becoming heard could also be used in conditions ranging from kidnappings to robberies.

Mr Genachowski extra that texting can be a particularly useful form of communication for individuals who are deaf and other people that has a range of disabilities.

But alterations for the complicated 911 product can't take place overnight, nor not having a vote from the FCC.

The very last large transform for the emergency product by the FCC occurred in 2001, when the group demanded cellular cellphone carriers to permit them to pinpoint a caller's geographic location each as a result of GPS and by triangulating a caller's location as a result of cellphone towers.

Established in 1968, the 911 emergency product handles over 230m calls per 12 months.