October 15, 2017. An emergency is not a good time to test whether a system is working properly. Therefore, this past spring, members of our Chapter, in cooperation with Pat Kelly, Acting 911 Coordinator from PEI’s Department of Justice and Public Safety, and Island EMS, held boardroom and live exercises to test the two protocols available for the hard of hearing on PEI. These two protocols are ‘Dial 911’ and ‘Text with 911’.
Annie Lee MacDonald and Brenda Porter of the PEI Chapter of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association with pamphlets outlining protocols for the hard of hearing. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)
Following the exercise, a pamphlet was written outlining the protocols, which is available from us. One side of the pamphlet tells you the steps to take if you call 911, but can’t hear what the operator is saying. Those who have smart phones may find texting easier than calling, and the other side of the pamphlet tells you the steps you must take to do that.
Pamphlet outlining protocols for Dial 911 and Text with 911 for the hard of hearing.
Since many people do not hear well enough to have simple conversations on the telephone, let alone one in a stressful situation, technology is helping address that. A pan-Canadian wide system called Text with 911, or T-911, is available in many (not all) Canadian localities. However, only PEI, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick have this service available province-wide.
To use Text with 911, your cell phone number must be registered with your cell phone provider BEFORE you ever have an emergency. (Go to www.textwith911.ca) Once registered, if you dial 911, your call automatically goes to an operator who responds with a text call in either French or English, depending on the language preference you chose when registering. Note that it can take up to 5 days for your phone to be registered.
Although you can’t initiate a 911 call using text messaging, once the operator sends a text, you can TALK to the 911 operator, and receive a text message back. If you are able to speak, this may speed up the call, an important timesaver in a life or death situation.
Copies of the pamphlet are available at Chapter meetings, or at one of our speaking engagements. Our next meeting is on Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 9:30 am at North Tryon Presbyterian Church.
Do you have a tip or story to share? Let us know! Comments can be made on this blog, or you can email us at hearpei@gmail.com.
© Daria Valkenburg
The Aural Report 