News 16 October 2017

In a bind? Text 911

A.J. Seely, Chickasaw County Emergency Management Coordinator, announced last week that the Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office is now able to receive emergency text messages.“Simply text 911 the message and it will be received by the dispatcher,” said Seely. “911 phone calls are always preferred, but when they are not possible, texting is an alternative solution."Chickasaw County is one of 94 of Iowa’s 113 emergency call centers that can accept text messages from at least one wireless phone carrier. The remaining centers are expected to have that capability by the end of the year.The Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, which oversees Iowa’s 911 program, has helped to set up a "Text-to-911” system for wireless phones. They have worked with local public safety agencies and wireless carriers to build the statewide network and make Text-to-911 possible.
 
For the rest of this article, see Tuesday's New Hampton Tribune.

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