There can sometimes be emergency situations in which calling 911 isn’t a viable option.
For those dire situations, the nation’s 4 largest cell phone carriers (AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobile) have begun supporting an option to text 911.
If you attempt to text 911 and either your cell phone carrier does not support the feature or it is not available in your area, you will receive a “bounce-back” message, telling you that it is unavailable and you need to contact them by another means of communication.
Due to the fact that the 911 operators cannot track your location via text message, it requires that you include your location in your message. If you don’t, you will receive a prompt asking your location.
Overall, this is a great new option. However, according to the FCC, the most efficient and fastest way to receive help is by calling the 911 operators when possible.
This feature was released on May 15, 2014 and will be fully implemented by September 30, 2014.
For more information and quick facts from the source, click here.
Do you think this is a good idea? Why or why not? Let us know!
Have A Question? Ask Jessica!
-
Jessica: Hi, I'm Jessica, the Consumer Press AI, can I help you with a consumer question?
