Text-to-911 launches in Kitsap County

KITSAP Co., Wash. — Kitsap County on Tuesday became the first in the state to launch Text-to-911 service, a key step toward allowing people to get help when they can't call.

A demonstration of the system immediately made clear a major limitation: It takes a lot longer to exchange information via text message than a phone call.

Still, emergency managers see a role for Text-to-911 when calls don't go through but texts will, or in situations like a home invasion or domestic violence case, when speaking could put the caller at risk.

The catch phrase for Text-to-911, soon to be repeated around the state, is "Call if you can, text if you can't."

The system does not accept photos or videos.

Because Kitsap County is the first in the area, dispatchers expect to relay information to other counties, since phones in Seattle sometimes hit cell towers across Puget Sound.

KIRO 7's Graham Johnson asked Marlys Davis, the director of King County's 911 program, why the system hasn't been implemented yet in King County.

"There are a lot of technical details to work out," Davis replied.

King County is much larger, with 12 call centers.

Engineers have struggled to integrate text messages into the system operators already use.

Davis said she might follow Kitsap County's lead and use a temporary, separate system for texting.

"We need to make sure the technical solution we put into place is reliable, redundant, and has the right security," Davis said.

She said she hopes to have Text-to-911 in place, in some form, by the end of the year.

Snohomish County said Tuesday it is now testing Text-to-911 technology but is not yet accepting emergency messages.

If you text from a county without the service, you should get a message back telling you to call instead.

?Experts say being able to text photos or videos to 911 is about five years away.
 

KIRO