Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties to launch “Text to 9-1-1” service
Three counties are gearing up to launch a “Text to 9-1-1″ service, a critical tool for those who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired. It can also be used for those in emergency situations where making noise is not safe. The slogan…”call if you can, text when you can’t.”
Unfortunately, texting when you can not talk isn’t always that easy. There are more than 6,500 911 call centers, and only about 850 were equipped to take text messages as of March 2017, that’s according to the FCC. At the pulse nightclub in Orlando, victims there were messaging family and friends telling them to call 911 as they tried to hide from the active shooter. Eddie Justice hid in a bathroom there and frantically texted his mother for help. “Call police. I’m gonna die,” he wrote. He then texted, “Call them mommy. Now. He’s coming.” Justice was among the 49 people killed in the mass shooting. None of them could text 911 directly because Orlando did not have that option available. Also, during the San Bernardino Massacre on December 2nd, 2015, 14 people died, 22 were wounded. They too could not message law enforcement because at the time San Bernardino didn’t have text 911 capabilities. Shortly after that incident the system was put in place. KION’s Mariana Hicks will have the full story at 5 and 6 p.m. 
