Four major wireless phone companies are providing a voiceless technology which has been around since the 1960s, and is providing another way those in particular situations to call for help without voice commands, according to the Associated Press.
Local governments in 16 states are using the new technology, according to the Federal Communications Commission, and Vermont became the first to offer the technology statewide Monday, the AP reported. Black Hawk County, Iowa, became the first to use text 911 in June 2009.
The four major providers are Sprint, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and AT&T, who voluntarily committed to providing the service by May 15, according to the AP. The FCC has required all service providers to offer it by the end of the year.
Brian Fontes, the chief executive officer of the Virginia-based National Emergency Number Association, said the four major carriers offering text-to-911 is part of a broader push to use technology to enhance the information that can be provided to emergency responders and to put emergency call centers on an equal footing with the technology many people carry in their pockets, the AP reported.
The FCC tells people to limit texts for help to circumstances when voice calls can't be made, such as for the deaf or hard of hearing, or in domestic violence cases or at other times when it's not safe to speak, according to the AP.
The text-to-911 service is now limited to text only, photos, videos and location information will have to wait for the next generation of the technology, the AP reported.
There have only been 34 legitimate 911 texts for help since Vermont started using the system, compared to 208,000 911 voice calls last year, according to the AP.
