Texting 911 is now an option in Nassau County

Robert Saccente Jr., an American Sign Language specialist for the Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf remembers when a defensive driving instructor collapsed in front of him. Although he was certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, his ability to help was limited because he is deaf. 

“There was no way for me as a deaf person to call 911 at that time,” Saccente said in an interpreted call to the Herald. “Fortunately, there were other people that were taking the class that were able to call for me. Here I am the first person in the room, CPR certified, and I wasn’t able to make a call for him.” 

When people call 911 for emergency life-threatening situations, they hope for the fastest response time. In Nassau County, that just became a reality. 

The county’s 911 emergency system is getting an update and will accept text messages in addition to phone calls. On Aug. 7, the Rules Committee of the Nassau County Legislature voted unanimously to approve a $106,417 purchase order with the Intergraph Corporation for a custom interface Text to 911 interface, which will automatically transfer text message 911-related information to the Nassau County Police Department’s current computer aided dispatch system. When asked about this new life-saving feature, Saccente said it was long overdue, and will help those in the deaf and hard of hearing community be more independent. 

Currently, the only way for Nassau residents to reach 911 is by a phone call. Under legislation proposed by Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, the county will develop and implement around-the-clock Text to 911 capabilities for the first time – a feature that could be utilized by people who have limited English proficiency; or need to reach authorities discreetly, such as in an active shooter, hostage, or domestic violence crisis and for the deaf and hard of hearing community. Texting could also make communication easier, bypassing any issues with audio reception, which may lead to inaccurate information. 

This isn’t the first time the county’s 911 structure needed an update. A lawsuit was filed in January 2017 by Disability Rights New York who alleged that the county’s 911 services violated the act as it failed to provide accessible options for individuals with hearing loss. Another county resident, who is part of the deaf and hard of hearing community, sued the county in 2019 after his application to be a 911 dispatcher was denied. 

Prior to 1968, there was no standard emergency number. People called the numbers of the nearest police station or fire department when they had an emergency. As far back as 1957, the National Association of Fire Chiefs recommended the use of a single number for reporting fires. Choosing 911 as the universal emergency number was not an arbitrary selection, but it wasn’t a difficult one either. In 1967, the Federal Communications Commission met with AT&T to establish such an emergency number. The commissioner of the Nassau County Police Department and the Nassau County Fire Marshal, with feedback, would oversee implementation of the text program and guidance from disability rights advocates including, but not limited to the Nassau County Disability Advisory Council. 

Text to 911 is already live in numerous New York state counties, including Suffolk, Ulster, Niagara and Putnam counties. Nassau County must implement a program by Sept. 15 under the terms of a May 2023 settlement in the case alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“The implementation of Text to 911 capabilities is an important step toward modernizing our emergency response capabilities and providing life-saving resources anyone who needs to reach authorities discreetly, such as in an active shooter, hostage or domestic violence crisis,” DeRiggi-Whitton said. “Today’s action will also place us on a path toward compliance with a looming court mandate. I am hopeful that Nassau will ensure the service is equipped with robust language access capabilities so that every Nassau resident can reap the benefits of a worthwhile endeavor that can make all of us safer.”

Glen Cove’s Deputy Police Chief Chris Ortiz said any way the department can increase access to police services would be a great thing for the community. He noted that 911 is reserved for active emergency situations. Anyone who misuses Text to 911 would be subject to the same penalties as those who misuse 911 by phone.