Our public safety system has been built around extending and enhancing our 9-1-1 system, but communication devices and the public’s choice of communication systems has passed this system by.  Just recently, with the earthquake in New Zealand, trapped residents were “texting” their locations and need for assistance, and it worked.

Your 9-1-1 call is routed to the closest call taking center, an operator picks up, you explain the nature of your emergency  and then they may transfer you to the dispatch center closest matching resources to your need. You then provide additional details to the next operator you speak with while emergency services are dispatched to your location.

On the other hand, your text message theoretically can travel the globe in a fraction of the time it would take you to navigate through a traditional 9-1-1 call. You can send your message to whomever you were wise enough to have programed into you device.  You may or may not have a “smart” device, depending on how wisely you prepared it for such emergencies. So lets start looking at a Better Emergency.