Nassau to offer 911 texting as part of legal settlement
Nassau Legis. Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove), who has filed legislation that would require the county to offer 911 texting services, said it could save lives in situations where a phone call is not safe. Credit: James Escher
Nassau residents and visitors in distress will soon have the ability to text with emergency dispatchers as the county launches a Text-to-911 service.
The Nassau Legislature's five-member Rules Committee on Monday approved County Executive Bruce Blakeman's request to spend about $106,000 on a contract with technology vendor Intergraph Corp. for software to convert text message information for the county's 911 call center's database.
The initiative is part of a legal settlement between the county and two plaintiffs — Deborah LoGerfo of Babylon and Nicholas Dupree of Queens — who in 2017 sued Nassau, Suffolk and New York City.
Their initial complaint, filed in the Eastern District of New York in Central Islip, alleged governments discriminate against the disabled, particularly the hearing impaired, by denying direct access to emergency services.
Suffolk and New York City have since launched the 911 texting service. Nassau must begin offering it by Sept. 15, according to court documents.
A police department spokesman said the response times to texts will not differ from phone calls. Texters will be able to send words — not photos — as they communicate with dispatchers.
As part of the court settlement, Nassau is required to publish public service announcements advertising the service, and within three years provide the court with the total number of texts received and response times.
Nationwide, Text-to-911 is currently only available in certain locations. The Federal Communications Commission encourages emergency call centers to begin accepting texts, but it's up to each call center to decide the particular method in which to implement and deploy Text-to-911 technology.
"It's a no-brainer and it's not something that costs a lot for the county to do," said Legis. Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove), who filed a bill to create a county law for the technology in late July. She said that when she began to research the issue, she was unaware of the court order.
She and other proponents of the technology said it could be a life-saving tool during a domestic violence or active shooter situation when a voice call could be dangerous, and it could help non-English speakers in emergencies.
DeRiggi-Whitton said she believes it would be best to codify the program into local law.
Mary Studdert, spokeswoman for the county legislature's Republican majority, said following through on the court order is sufficient.
"The legislature has passed a contract to provide the county with Text-to-911 capability. There is no need to pass a resolution to direct the county to do something it is already doing," Studdert said.
Candice Ferrette covers Nassau County government and politics on Long Island. She has been a reporter at Newsday since 2011.
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