An emergency call center in Waterloo, Iowa, is believed to be the first in the U.S. to accept emergency messages via text. "I think there's a need to get out front and get this technology available," Black Hawk County police chief Thomas Jennings said.
John Snapp, a senior technical officer of Intrado, the company which upgraded the call center, says that calling is still be the preferred way to reach 911, but texting is a useful complement. A lot of kids already think they can text 911, he said.
The 911 texting is currently limited to one carrier within the area covered by the center but expect many more carriers and emergency centers to follow.
Source: Seattlepi
