Would You Text 911?

Our neighboring county has implemented this. I believe it is for when you are unable to talk. If a bad guy is in the next room, for example. They said calling should be your first choice.

I can see this being useful for instance if your partner is fuming about something and you are afraid of being attacked. This is something that can be done quietly.

I think I've heard of something similar where I live. We don't use 911 though but our national emergency number is 999. I think 999 offer an emergency text service but I believe people have to register to use it.

I don't think it would ever cross my mind to text the emergency services, although I think it would be helpful for some people in unusual situations. For me, dialling is so much easier and you can give information to the call handler so much more quickly.

Caller: "Help! I need urgent help!

Police: "How can we help you. Please stay calm"

Caller: "I am nearly out of credit on my phone! Can you top it up for me?"

I've heard of ridiculous reasons why people call the emergency services.
"Please help me, my boiler has broken down".
"I can't get onto the internet!"
It really makes me cross.
I remember one occasion when someone phoned the emergency services to go to hospital because her glasses were broken. All she needed to do was phone up an optician. But with all credit to the A&E doctors, they treated her so kindly, checked her over and made sure she was OK.
I have had to call the emergency services many times. Once I had to phone to report a fire. On many other occasions I've had to call paramedics out for the critically ill or injured. On every occasion, they have attended literally within minutes and done an amazing job. People here do not have to pay for any of the emergency services, including transport to and treatment within a hospital. They can even get a free flight in a helicopter to a trauma unit if it is necessary. I sometimes think a number of people take this too much for granted.

Only once i called the emergency services. It was extremley serious too.

I couldnt find a bone i had buried in the garden! It was so stressful!

April_Rose said:

Yeah and there are people who actually need the help.

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I know what you mean. I must admit I have a large amount of sympathy for people who work in the emergency services.
I don't think people realise what a very difficult job our emergency services do with only a finite amount of resources. As a nurse, I have had to respond to a wide range of emergency situations.
When I was a student, I worked in A&E (the emergency department). An emergency call came through and advised us that an ambulance was bringing in a man who collapsed on the street with a cardiac arrest. I had the job of taking over resuscitating him when he arrived. But it is not a one-man job. You need a whole team to co-ordinate the whole operation - carrying out CPR, airway management, attaching the ECG, the defibrillator, cannulating, putting on oxygen, etc.
In the meantime, there were other trolleys in the department taken up with a few patients who probably didn't need to be there at all. A number of them could have got the same level of care by contacting their doctor, the out of hours GP service, or by visiting a local minor injuries unit.
It is perfectly understandable that when people are feeling unwell or find themselves in a vulnerable situation, their instinct tells them to find help and they will seek it in the quickest and easiest way possible.
We have a national helpline "111" where people can phone up and get medical advice over the telephone from a doctor - 24 hours a day. They can carry out over the phone assessments and even do home visits. They can write up emergency prescriptions. There have been a number of cases where doctors have arranged pre-planned admissions direct to a relevant ward at the hospital without needing to go to through the emergency department (A&E).