The evolution of 911 service ultimately will allow callers to bypass traditional land lines and cell phones and instead use text messaging and even video phones to report emergencies, a Texas A&M University researcher announced Wednesday.

The projection is the result of Next Generation 911, a two-year and nearly $3 million study funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, said project Director Walt Magnussen, who also serves as the director of the Internet2 Technology Evaluation Center at A&M.

"It's been an exciting ride here," Magnussen said as he kicked off the presentation and demonstration of the project's findings.

Led by Virginia-based global consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, project researchers were responsible for developing a framework and deployment plan for a new 911 system designed to meet the needs of an increasingly wireless nation.

Though no timeline has been established for implementing such a system nationwide, Roger Hixson, technical issues director for the National Emergency Number Association, said a pilot program could be rolled out by late next year.

"It's important to remember everybody is wireless," said Rick Jones, operations issues director for the National Emergency Number Association. "Ten years ago, it was wireless calling in accidents. Today, it's wireless calling in everything."

Basic 911 service was launched in the late 1960s, and it provided little more than a connection to a police department and the telephone number of the person making the call, Hixson said during the presentation. In the 1980s, the system was enhanced. Telephone records were compiled into a database, which was used to route calls to the correct law enforcement agency.

The system again was modified in the 1990s when wireless phones became popular, he said. The changes were implemented in two phases. The second allowed many call centers to determine a "fairly accurate" location for the mobile callers.

Though it has been more than a decade, many dispatch centers still have not made it to the second phase, Hixson said.

The current project is designed to bring the 911 emergency system into compliance with the latest telephone evolution -- Internet-based telephone systems, which are better known as VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol.

The demonstration Wednesday at the Caldwell Watson Building in Texas A&M's Research Park did not take live 911 reports, but it did take mock calls -- one each from a land line, wireless phone, video phone, text message and OnStar data transfer system -- to show those attending how each would appear to dispatchers.

Ultimately, officials said, the goal is to have an interconnected, nationwide system that would even allow for communication with law officers along the Mexican and Canadian borders.

Once fully implemented, it could lead to increased safety. Many suggested in the wake of the Virginia Tech massacre that students hiding under their desks could have sent text messages to police. Though that method remains troublesome because it is designed for messaging between mobile phones, the next generation system allows for it, presenters said.

Jones also pointed to the advantages of using a video phone. A caller reporting a wreck via a video phone could simply turn the camera to face the cars, allowing the call taker to see the accident. And the hearing- impaired could use video phones to communicate via sign language, he said.

"This is an entirely new world," he said.

• Holly Huffman's e-mail address is holly.huffman@theeagle.com.

Comments

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12 comment(s) found!

Posted by: jrr On: 7/31/2008

Comment Title: kudos from bangalore
we are all very with you, way to go man.

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Posted by: On: 7/26/2008

Comment Title: 911
Text message- $3,000,000 sound as if we had some of lose tax payers money laying around and so they said lets find some way to mess things up. Find a real job.

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Posted by: On: 7/24/2008

Comment Title:
Katrina, you're right, it's kinda dumb. But of course the younger generation can't make it from their beds in the morning to the bathroom without texting someone. I suppose in that 1 in a million case where you're being held hostage, and have access to a cell phone and yet can't talk on it, but somehow can send a text message, that this would be useful too. But the rest of the time? Come on.

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Posted by: Katrina On: 7/24/2008

Comment Title: Video & text 911?
OK, well, I'm 26 and to me, this just seems kinda dumb. If I need 911, the last thing I want to do is type it in a txt message or wonder if my hair looks alright on the video. What is so wrong with just dialing 911 and saying, "help at 1234 Sesame Street, please hurry" I mean, are we so technologically important now that it's cooler to text or video message 911. Sounds a little lame from my perspective. But maybe it's because I'm a mom and don't care what a cell phone does as long as the buttons dial numbers and makes a call.

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Posted by: Cecelia On: 7/24/2008

Comment Title:
Not everyone has cell phones, even today. Some don't have phones of any kind or still have the old rotary phones. Sounds like this is just for young people.

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Posted by: CG On: 7/24/2008

Comment Title: Suratkal dude
Hi This looks like a shot from a studo. the guy behind the comp looks like anybody except a researcher doing some serious work. Is it real ???

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Posted by: sheela jayanth On: 7/24/2008

Comment Title: cool guy
deadly combination of youth and intelligence.kudos for the young and innovative mind.

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Posted by: Repaehct Ennut On: 7/24/2008

Comment Title: Dress
Guys, its so cool you wear such clothes to office! It fosters innovation. I love this picture, it is already my wallpaper, tiled. Love ya, Repaecht

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Posted by: Repaehct Ennut On: 7/24/2008

Comment Title: Great photography
Man in suit, maroon colored felt table, red screen on computer... Las Vegas! Great stuff! The guy looks awesome, like a Corleone chatting with little kids on big screens, in his den.

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Posted by: Mrs. Raj Malholtra's secret lover On: 7/24/2008

Comment Title:
I too love the guy in the photo. "what's holding up the chips in our heads" Why would anyone want a chip in their head? Some kick you get out of conformity!

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Posted by: Mrs. Raj Malhotra On: 7/24/2008

Comment Title: Nice Photo
I love the guy in the photo. Great work guys! Keep it up!

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Posted by: On: 7/24/2008

Comment Title: It's About Time
That's all nice, but I want to know what's holding up the chips in our heads that will enable authorities to track us and zero in on us whenever needed! Ideally that system would also be expanded to trigger an alert whenever we see something alarming or have a negative, hate-filled thought. It's best if none of us are ever "off the grid" even for a moment, don't you think? How else can the government adequately protect us??

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