On March 18, 2014 the 9-1-1 centre in Metro Vancouver (E-Comm www.ecomm911.ca) started a new service for the Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, and Speech Impaired (DHHSI) that allows DHHSI persons to communicate with a 9-1-1 operator through a special text system.
There are four very important things DHHSI persons need to do in order to access this special text service:
1. You must register your cellphone with your service provider in advance (e.g. TELUS, Rogers, Bell). There is a website that has been set up for this: http://textwith911.ca/wireless-service-providers/.
2. To use the Text with 9-1-1 service you must call from E-Comm’s service area. A detailed list is on our website: http://ecomm911.ca/calling-911/documents/T911PPT_000.pdf
3. You must have a cellphone that can make voice calls and send/receive texts. If you are not sure if your cellphone can do both, you should check with your service provider (e.g. TELUS, Rogers, Bell)
4. In an emergency, you must first dial 9-1-1 like any other caller to establish a voice connection – this is how the text session starts.
A lot of good information can be found here http://textwith911.ca/ and we hope everyone will read it to understand how the system works.
People who need help registering their cellphones should contact their service provider (e.g. TELUS, Rogers, Bell).
People who have questions about how the system work should contact info@textwith911.ca
If we can provide any additional information that you would find helpful to your organization, please let us know by contacting us at webmaster@ecomm911.ca. Please feel free to put a link to E-Comm’s web page on your website: http://ecomm911.ca/calling-911/T911system.php
