111 SMS service for all?

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gnfb

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#148505 21-Jun-2014 11:04

Apparently a lot of the OS emergency service are now accepting sms requests. NZ accepts from blind and deaf. Anyone heard if they intend to extend that to all?

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#1071571 21-Jun-2014 12:02

Why when they can call 111?

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sleemanj

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#1071573 21-Jun-2014 12:06

because in an emergency there are a number of reasons when talking might not be possible or practical while sending an sms is.

for example;
low batt
spotty signal
hiding from intruder

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SaltyNZ

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#1071631 21-Jun-2014 12:54

At the moment the service is offered only to deaf subscribers registered with NZ deafness societies. I do not believe there are any plans to widen it.

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rscole86

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#1071646 21-Jun-2014 13:22

I am not personally aware of any emergency operator allowing contact to be made via a standard sms sent from a phone. Can you provide any examples?
The USA are actively encouraging their cellular network providers to support this service, but it is not being used currently.

As far as I can tell, most emergency services overseas allow sms to be sent by those who would have difficulty use the standard voice service. Just like in NZ, you must pre-register, and provide name/address/nok etc etc before you can use it.
The service here is provided by the Police, who then pass the details to Ambulance and/or the Fire service as required.

Where required Ambulance and Fire can pass on caller details to Police, where they might be having difficulty understanding them or maintaining contact. Police can then text them if possible to try and determine their location and emergency.
So sms contact is possible, but in most cases only if Police initiate it and only if deemed appropriate.

old3eyes

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#1071660 21-Jun-2014 13:43

rscole86: I am not personally aware of any emergency operator allowing contact to be made via a standard sms sent from a phone. Can you provide any examples?
The USA are actively encouraging their cellular network providers to support this service, but it is not being used currently.

As far as I can tell, most emergency services overseas allow sms to be sent by those who would have difficulty use the standard voice service. Just like in NZ, you must pre-register, and provide name/address/nok etc etc before you can use it.
The service here is provided by the Police, who then pass the details to Ambulance and/or the Fire service as required.

Where required Ambulance and Fire can pass on caller details to Police, where they might be having difficulty understanding them or maintaining contact. Police can then text them if possible to try and determine their location and emergency.
So sms contact is possible, but in most cases only if Police initiate it and only if deemed appropriate.

In the US it was being rolled out from about February this year..

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Old3eyes

rscole86

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#1071667 21-Jun-2014 13:54

old3eyes:

In the US it was being rolled out from about February this year..

It is extremely limited in coverage, and they also advise that it is not a recommended means of contact. It very much looks like they are trying to play catch up, and have decided to go one further than just allowing it for those who would be able to communicate via a voice call.
I personally would not consider it as a reliable means of contact, nor would I use it as my first attempt to reach emergency services. Also before we accept sms as a means to contact emergency services, all simcards attached to a number should require complete contact details when sold, eg name/dob/address/alt contact number.
The sms service is only half complete if there is still no way of know who has text you.

I would rather see Intergraphs emergency app become available for use within NZ.

alasta

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#1071672 21-Jun-2014 14:06

Given the poor reliability of SMS I would have thought this was a disaster waiting to happen.

kingjj

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#1071705 21-Jun-2014 14:21

Considering the level of false calls/pocket dials (first filtered by Telecom and than filtered by Police/Fire/Ambo) I shudder to think what would happen when pranksters/kids/the mentally ill had the ability to just text in an Emergency. Variations of 'Swatting' would become way more prevalent. Resources would be stretched, decisions on response would end up being questioned... lives could be put at risk. There is too much anonymity in SMS to make it viable as an Emergency tool IMHO.

gnfb

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#1071765 21-Jun-2014 16:23

rscole86: I am not personally aware of any emergency operator allowing contact to be made via a standard sms sent from a phone. Can you provide any examples?
The USA are actively encouraging their cellular network providers to support this service, but it is not being used currently.

As far as I can tell, most emergency services overseas allow sms to be sent by those who would have difficulty use the standard voice service. Just like in NZ, you must pre-register, and provide name/address/nok etc etc before you can use it.
The service here is provided by the Police, who then pass the details to Ambulance and/or the Fire service as required.

Where required Ambulance and Fire can pass on caller details to Police, where they might be having difficulty understanding them or maintaining contact. Police can then text them if possible to try and determine their location and emergency.
So sms contact is possible, but in most cases only if Police initiate it and only if deemed appropriate.

You have to register your phone which is ok uk sms 999

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rscole86

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#1071769 21-Jun-2014 16:34

Sorry but I do not see that as the same thing, that is a third party text relay service, there already are relay services in NZ. In fact I am sure I have spoken about them before here.
Although they do have the support of emergency services, you are not dealing with them directly, their website also states it is a trial.
A relay service is just adding another link in a chain that could break with obvious risk to life.

sbiddle

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#1071774 21-Jun-2014 16:38

gnfb:
rscole86: I am not personally aware of any emergency operator allowing contact to be made via a standard sms sent from a phone. Can you provide any examples?
The USA are actively encouraging their cellular network providers to support this service, but it is not being used currently.

As far as I can tell, most emergency services overseas allow sms to be sent by those who would have difficulty use the standard voice service. Just like in NZ, you must pre-register, and provide name/address/nok etc etc before you can use it.
The service here is provided by the Police, who then pass the details to Ambulance and/or the Fire service as required.

Where required Ambulance and Fire can pass on caller details to Police, where they might be having difficulty understanding them or maintaining contact. Police can then text them if possible to try and determine their location and emergency.
So sms contact is possible, but in most cases only if Police initiate it and only if deemed appropriate.

You have to register your phone which is ok uk sms 999

Which is a service solely for hearing impaired people - it is not a service for the general public.

NZ was one of the first countries in the world to launch this exact same service around 5 years ago for hearing impaired people and integrated directly into the Integraph I/CAD system.

gnfb

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#1071830 21-Jun-2014 18:13

rscole86: Sorry but I do not see that as the same thing, that is a third party text relay service, there already are relay services in NZ. In fact I am sure I have spoken about them before here.
Although they do have the support of emergency services, you are not dealing with them directly, their website also states it is a trial.
A relay service is just adding another link in a chain that could break with obvious risk to life.

Ok let look at it this way
I Live mainly on my own. If and when i have another heart attack if it goes like last time I have a window of maybe 10seconds to be aware and to act. I am one of thousands this happens to. So . what i need is something i can have with me at all times notmatter where i am and all i need to do is tap a screen maybe 2 or three times. Then I can collapse happily knowing that a message has been sent requesting assistance and either giving my location or to be able to use the gps in the phone to track me. Now. I just got a sony smartwatch and there is an app you can get that when you tap it twice it will send an sms to a number pre configured by you with details. Hence my original question about SMS

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Inphinity

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#1071839 21-Jun-2014 18:42

sbiddle:
Which is a service solely for hearing impaired people - it is not a service for the general public.

NZ was one of the first countries in the world to launch this exact same service around 5 years ago for hearing impaired people and integrated directly into the Integraph I/CAD system.

It's primarily integrated with their phone system.

rscole86

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#1071852 21-Jun-2014 19:06

Have you looked at services like this?

gnfb

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#1071862 21-Jun-2014 20:06

rscole86: Have you looked at services like this?

Thats Interesting There website doesn't instil a great deal of confidence but I will give them a ring to see what options are available. It does however seem to me that there is a perfectly good emergencey service in place (ive used it LOL) I did chat to a developer who was working on advice that had its own sim and could connect to the services via a third party. The answer , of course is how many people would benefit and what would it cost to introduce and how many more lives would it save. It also needs to be cost effective so its not just the like of us who can afford to access it.

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