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ST. GEORGE — The St. George Communications Center implemented a “text-to-911” program Wednesday, joining a handful of other counties across the state that make it possible for an individual to send a text message to summon help in an emergency.
The St. George Communications Center spent more than a year upgrading equipment, implementing new software and hardware, and integrating systematic security programming to prepare for Wednesday’s deployment.
Multiple factors were involved in the push to implement text-to-911 capabilities, including the generational shift from calling to texting, Cindy Flowers, communications center manager, said.
“Nowadays texting is almost the main mode of communication, so we needed to make that capability available to the public.”
Another advantage is in a dangerous situation where an individual may not be able to call for help, but texting would allow them to contact emergency dispatch silently, Flowers said.
The service is also beneficial to the hearing impaired, since it is faster and more efficient than using IP relay services or Telecommunications Device for the Deaf.
As of January, other counties that have implemented the text-to-911 program are Davis (all areas except Clearfield), Morgan, Salt Lake, Utah and Weber, according to the Utah Communications Authority.
Read the full article at St. George News.
