911 texting coming for hard of hearing
SaskTel working on project
People who are deaf or hard of hearing will soon have the ability to text 911, but the rest of the country may have to wait awhile.
Earlier this year, the CRTC ruled that Canadian telephone and wireless companies must upgrade their networks to support new text capabilities for the hard of hearing by January 2014.
SaskTel is working to comply with the ruling and should be able to test the technology later this year, SaskTel spokeswoman Michelle Englot said.
The service will require people who are deaf or hard of hearing to register for the program. Once registered, the user would still call 911 first, but a message will pop up for the 911 operator, instructing him or her to switch to text message communication, Englot said.
It is a significant change for those with hearing disabilities, said Roger Carver, executive director of Saskatchewan Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services.
“Deaf and hard of hearing can (currently) use the conventional 911 services simply by dialing 911 and leaving the handset off the hook ... but if they are away from home or land lines, they are helpless,” he said.
Adequate access to 911 services for people with a disability was one of the concerns raised in a report on Canadian 911 services released by the CRTC on Thursday.
Emergency text services for the deaf and hard of hearing is a huge step, as texting has become a key communication tool for them, said CRTC spokesman Denis Carmel.
One issue with expanding 911 texting services to the general public is that unlike land lines connected to an address, there is currently no accurate way to trace the location of the device sending the message. This also makes it hard to predict which 911 service location will receive the text message, Carmel said.
While the CRTC can mandate that wireless companies update technology if it’s available, it has no authority to require the various 911 centres across Canada to accommodate the technology.
“AN IMPORTANT THING TO LOOK AT IS ... UNDERSTANDING HOW THE NEW TECHNOLOGY CAN BE BEST IMPLEMENTED.” JAY TENEYCKE
All centres would need the ability not only to answer 911 texts, but to do so in a reasonable time frame, Carmel said.
In Saskatchewan, officials with the Ministry of Government Relations, which oversees 911 services, are looking at the possibility of expanding the current 911 system to allow everyone to text, said ministry spokesman Jay Teneycke.
“An important thing to look at is ... understanding how the new technology can be best implemented and how it can be used to improve the system,” Teneycke said.
Unlike in other countries, 911 services in Canada do not have an over-arching national institution. Instead, each jurisdiction has its own mandates, training and policies.
The CRTC report also recommends the formation of one body that would bring together all levels of government with all 911 and emergency service providers to offer common training, set technology standards, prepare public education campaigns and set national policies and mandates.
Other recommendations include dedicating CRTC staff to focus solely on 911, and achieving location accuracy for text messaging and voice over Internet protocol (VOIP).
The CRTC’s A Report on Matters Related to Emergency 911 Services can be found at www.thestarphoenix.com.