To Text or Not to Text during Emergencies? Text Before You Phone

As part of National Preparedness Month, a group that promotes health and safety programs has launched an initiative to tell the public to use text messaging to communicate with friends and families immediately after an emergency or disaster before calling on the phone. But some telecommunications experts warn that might not be the best advice. Safe America Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy group based in Marietta, Georgia., kicked off its Text First, Talk Second campaign, saying texting is more efficient, and during an emergency not everybody can use voice lines. “We need to become more reliant on texting,” said the president and chief executive of the foundation. But other telecommunication’s experts said texting is not reliable during emergency situations and voice communication should be the first option, especially when calling 911. “Texting is a technology that was never designed for emergency communication,” said the chief executive of the National Emergency Number Association, which studies 911 policy, technology, operations and education issues.

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