Shared from the 3/10/2020 The Providence Journal eEdition

Uber hails new text-to-911 feature in R.I.

Emergency texts sent through the app will carry location and other details automatically

Uber riders and drivers in Rhode Island are now able to use a feature in the ride-hailing app to text the police, more easily sharing their location, destination and the type of car they’re in.

People in Rhode Island can already text 911 from their cellphones, but when they go through the Uber app to do it, their text to 911 will pop up pre-loaded with details pulled from the app itself.

They’ll also be able to fill in their own details at the end after the phrase: “My emergency is:” From there, the user will still have to press the send button to be connected to 911.

After launching a feature to call 911 through the app a few years ago, “we heard from people that they wanted an option that didn’t involve speaking,” said Andrew Hasbun, head of safety communications for Uber.

“You’re never going to hear us say that we have done enough” on safety, Hasbun said. “We’re always going to be working on new ideas, new technology, raising the bar to help make the platform safer.”

Uber’s text-to-911 program launched in Rhode Island on Monday. A pilot program has been in place in other areas of the country. The program is now also available in Massachusetts, the company said. Uber’s text-to-911 button will be part of the 911 assistance feature in the “safety toolkit” section of the app.

Uber said the new textto-911 feature will allow people to contact the authorities if they’re not in a situation where they can speak on the phone. It’s available both to riders and to drivers. The feature uses a cellphone’s own texting application to message 911.

“It’s just one more tool in the toolbox,” said J. David Smith, the director of Rhode Island E 9-1-1. “Any software enhancements are helpful. Any programs that will help get the information to us more quickly and more accurately, that’s a way we can provide the most accurate and efficient information when we push it down to the dispatchers.”

People do not often text 911 in Rhode Island, even though it’s available in the state, Smith said — only about a half-dozen a week, compared with 474,000 calls annually. And Rhode Island’s 911 system, which is part of the state Department of Public Safety and is based on the grounds of the state police headquarters in Scituate, does prefer calls.

But there are times when that’s not possible, Smith said.

“Sadly, there’s too many cases where people who are victims, or they’re lost, or they have a medical condition, they can’t talk,” Smith said. “Those are situations where they text to 911.”

Telecommunicators are able to text back and forth with someone contacting

911. From there they route the message to local authorities, who can dispatch an ambulance, fire truck or police car as needed. A program that’s not visible to the cellphone or Uber user makes that location information even more detailed.

The Uber program, Smith said, could also act as a deterrent people who might be intent on wrongdoing on a ride-hailing trip, he said.

“They will know that this feature is there,” he said, “and hopefully it holds them more accountable.” bamaral@ providencejournal.com

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On Twitter: bamaral44

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