LETHBRIDGE – Dialing 911 is something many people can easily take for granted, but what happens when you can’t hear the operator on the other end of the line?
A lack of communication between EMS dispatch and those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired is a void the City of Lethbrige is looking to fill through a new text to 911 program.
According to the manager of the Public Safety Communications Centre, Chris Kearns, the service allows such citizens to more easily communicate to dispatch personnel the help they need at a time of a crisis.
“People who are deaf or hard of hearing have to register their telephones and when they dial 911 there will be an indicator on our screens that indicates the person is deaf or hard of hearing, which causes us to initiate a text message session,” he explains.
The current system allows local EMS to flag numbers of certain vulnerable members in our community.
However, the president of Lethbridge’s Chapter of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, Doreen Gyorkos, says most people are often left relying on their family or friends to communicate a problem.
“You are already stressed out because of the emergency and you just hope and pray that somebody on the other end is going to get your message and get you help,” she says.
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The text initiative requires new technology for Lethbridge’s dispatch and staff would need training.
While it may take some time to rollout, Kearns recognizes the need to upgrade an outdate system.
“Lots of deaf or hard of hearing people don’t carry around a teletype anymore….they have cellphones that do texting. So it makes sense that they should be able to make that call from anywhere without having to find a payphone with a teletype, which is rare, or use one at home,” he adds.
Officials don’t expect to implement the service until the fall of 2014, but for Gyorkos the program will save lives.
“In a life and death situation, being able to text 911 is going to save time. This new technology is going to be a marvelous breakthrough,” she says.
A number of cities across North America are using the text to 911 service, including Calgary.
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