Kitsap County will be the first county in the state to offer the service. Officials say people should still call if they can and send a text message if they need help and can’t call.
Text-to-911 service is not available statewide.
So if you are hiking in Kitsap and need to contact 911 for some reason and have your trusty smartphone, you can:
1. Start Gmap4 http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php
2. Do Menu ==> My location. Your phone's GPS will be used to center the map at your position.
3. Touch the location symbol at the center of the screen.
4. In the popup that appears, touch the button labeled "Link to this spot". (The idea for this feature came from a first responder in Florida.)
5. Text the link that appears to 911. That link will start Gmap4 and display a symbol at your location. The dispatcher can touch that symbol and your coordinates will be displayed.
The dispatcher can touch that symbol and your coordinates will be displayed.
Let's hope they know how.
A couple years ago I sent the Thurston County sheriff an email about this and never heard back. I don't have great faith in their ability to use email as I had to send another here a few months ago concerning a different issue. Never got a reply to that one either. DNR sent them an email on the same issue. Same deal, no response.
The Wenatchee paper has a front page article today saying Rivercom will be able to take 911 texts this spring but will not officially open the system to the public until sometime in 2016. They were emphasizing situations where it might be difficult or dangerous to be heard speaking on a help call but I am sure they recognize the value of texting from the mountains for SAR. Often times you can send a text even if you have no bars of signal up in the mountains. I have tried that with my wife lots of times and she often gets them.
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