Emergency text messaging services

Emergency text messaging services are a technology that enables emergency call operators to receive text messages.^[1] Its use is encouraged for people with hearing impairment or who have trouble speaking; it can also be used for situations when calling may pose a safety risk, such as a home invasion or domestic abuse.^[2] Concerns mainly arise from the accessibility of such technologies as they are not universally applied and may be inconsistent; therefore, voice calls are generally preferred for its speed, accessibility, and clarity.^[3]

The technology allows an individual that requires emergency assistance may text an emergency number as opposed to calling it. Emergency services are conventionally reached through voice-based calls dialling an emergency telephone number. However, such systems assume that the caller is able to communicate by voice and may exclude the impaired. It is generally presented as an alternative, and not as a replacement, to calling (which is still preferred.)^[4] Texting to emergency services present themselves as a viable alternative if the individual is disabled, in a situation where speaking out loud would compromise the caller's safety, where speaking would impede help, or where network coverage is limited, as text messages take up less data.^[5] Some services require prior registration (such as in Singapore and the United Kingdom, see below), some are strictly for the medically impaired, while most are available for usage by the public-at-large as necessary.

Unlike 911 used in the United States, Australia uses triple zero as its emergency number. As of November 22nd 2023, contacting emergency services through texting 000 is not currently possible. However, for individuals with hearing or speech impairment, 106 remains the only option, as it is accessed via a teletypewriter (TTY.)^[6]

Texting to emergency services is adopted in Canada in the form of T9-1-1, however it is not as mature or accessible as the systems found elsewhere. The system is strictly for used by the 'deaf, deafened, hard of hearing, or speech impaired persons' and is not available for the general public. ^[7] Furthermore, a voice call to 911 must be made to initiate the text connection and cannot be contacted simply by texting to 911. It also requires registration and a valid messaging plan. It is also noted that coverage is not as extensive compared to other nations, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police discourages its usage unless medically necessary.^[8]

In France, there is a separate phone number for the deaf and hearing impaired, 114. It is separate from the phone numbers 15, 17, 18 or 112. Through this service, individuals can contact emergency services through text and an application. However, it is not strictly restricted to disabled individuals and there is no registration process; the Deputy Director stated that it is for 'anyone... even temporarily.'^[9]

In Singapore, a joint initiative called the 'Emergency Short Message Service Helpline Services' allows for texting (via SMS) to reach emergency services. There are two numbers for contacting emergency services through SMS, they are 70999 (Singapore Police Force) and 70996 (Singapore Civil Defence Force.) However, unlike other emergency texting services, it is only available for professionally diagnosed persons with hearing loss and/or speech difficulties and requires registration for usage through organisations such as SG Enable, Singapore Association for the Deaf, or TOUCH Community Services.^[10]

Texting emergency services in Britain is offered by Relay UK.^[11] through a service called emergencySMS (eSMS).^[12] Similar to the system in Singapore, individuals must register beforehand to use the service; however it is done in the UK by texting 'register' to 999 instead of contacting a separate association. ^[13] It was first proposed as an early day motion (EDM) in Parliament^[14] and implemented in the United Kingdom in 2009 for impaired individuals.^[15]

In the United States, the technology is referred to as Text-to-911. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) maintains a registry of areas supporting text-to-911. All carriers are required to send bounce-back messages to inform the sender that the message could not be received if the technology is not supported by the local call centre.^[16] Text-to-911 has been supported by the four major cellular providers in the United States since 2014,^[17][18] but as of August 2024^[update], it is only supported by approximately 54% of the country's more than 6,000 emergency call centres.^[19] However, in many areas that do not support text-to-911, the message will be directed to a statewide response centre. The National Association of the Deaf and AccesSOS maintain a map of counties providing text-to-911.^[19]

In August 2009, Waterloo, Iowa, was the first county to begin receiving texts to 911.^[20]

Call centres in the United States are usually funded by both state and federal funding, therefore limited funding and outdated technology have slowed the widespread adoption of text-to-911.^[18] Moreover, many communities are concerned about overuse of texting, which may slow response times.^[2] This leads to decreased local allocation of resources and funding as it is not conclusive whether text-to-911 is effective to invest in, thereby relying on federal funding which may be slower.

Below is the list of individual states and territories of the United States of America, sorted by alphabetical order, and their implementation of Text-to-911 (as of July 2024):^[21]

• 311, the non-emergency number in North America.
• 911 Tapping Protocol, a New York City initiative to provide viable alternatives to voice-based emergency calls for the impaired.
• Emergency medical dispatcher, a professional tele-communicator tasked with organising responses for medical emergencies
• Enhanced 911, a system in the United States that provides location data for call operators to locate the caller.
• Next Generation 9-1-1, a project to modernise the 911 system in the United States
• Reverse 911, a protocol used in North America to inform individuals in a geographic area by public safety organisations.

• FCC registry of areas that support Text-to-9-1-1 services (Microsoft Excel format)