Tarrant County, Texas, officials told the FCC any requirement that...
Tarrant County, Texas, officials told the FCC any requirement that public safety answering points must receive 911 text messages will be costly to local governments. “The volume associated with text to 911 service will likely double or triple the volume…
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of calls to local PSAPs and thus require additional personnel to deal with the increased demand,” the county said in a letter to the commission (http://bit.ly/1666vV3) detailing concerns raised in a recent meeting with Public Safety Bureau officials. “How [will] this be funded?” the county asks. Tarrant County also warns that there is a “misconception among our citizens” that they can already send emergency texts to 911. “The general public is typically not aware of the limitations on texting for emergencies and does not recognize the enormous complexity of deploying this service in an emergency dispatch center,” the letter said. The county notes that texts will add a new layer of complexity. “The success of today’s 911 service can be largely attributed to the simplicity of operation between the caller using the 911 system and the PSAP receiving the call. Call 911 -- someone answers the phone, and a responding resource is sent based on information received. The Text to 911 concept adds multiple complicating factors for emergency call center personnel for which no funding solutions or national guidelines currently exist.” The county includes the cities of Fort Worth and Arlington.