Deaf Man's 911 Text Saves House From Fire

Deaf News: Deaf man's 911 text went to operators at Oakland County Dispatch Center to saves house from fire.

ROCHESTER HILLS, MI -- WDIV Detroit: It seems as if people text more than they talk in modern days. That's why some communities have started allowing people to text 911.

Residents in Oakland County are allowed to text 911 and a message will appear on a screen for a dispatcher to read. A Deaf Rochester Hills man said the texting system saved his house from burning down.

The fire started when the man's mother, Mary Powers, tried to clean the oven.

"I smelled something and I came out here and the oven was on fire," Powers said.

She ran back in the room to tell her son, Scott Powers, to get help.

"I told him to call 911," she said.

Her son pulled out his cellphone but didn't dial.

"That means text because he's Deaf," Powers said.

"I'm Deaf, I can't talk on the phone, need fire department immediately," the text read.

The text went right through to operators at the Oakland County Dispatch Center.

Oakland County has been equipped with the 911 text messaging for just over a year. They average around 12 emergency text messages a day. Scott Powers owns his house and is thankful the county can accommodate his needs.

"I like to be independent without depending on other people," he said. "I used to think, 'What would I do if my house was on fire?' The first thing I used to think was, 'Run to my neighbor.'"

He's fortunate to live in an area where he can get emergency help. He hopes other communities will get on board with the technology.

"When I'm on the road visiting a friend, sometimes it doesn't work," Powers said. "I'll text 911. I'd get a response back saying it's not available."

This was the first time the Rochester Hills Fire Department benefited from the 911 text. But they realize this will likely not be the last time.

SOURCE - ClickonDetroit

Deaf Woman Helps Two Boys By Texting 911

Deaf woman helps 2 boys left in car in Georgia by texting 911.

ALPHARETTA, GA -- A Deaf woman in Georgia helped two boys she found alone in a car by texting 911. Lisa Collins said she knew she could report what she saw because she was in Alpharetta, one of four police agencies in Georgia that provides texting access to 911.

"Our 911 dispatcher was able to text back with her," said George Gordon, from the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety. Gordon said this is the first time anyone had texted 911 since they started the service in late 2014.

Collins texted to 911, "Someone left two young kids in the car, they're about two and five, I think...," and gave police the location where she was.

"I have two children of my own and I didn't think it was right to do that," said Collins. "I was thrilled when the 911 operator answered my text."

Gordon said having texting access to 911 is very beneficial.

"It could be domestic violence, whatever it is, where you don't have to speak, you text in anything to the 911 center now in our city."

In this case, police said a babysitter left the children in the car briefly and they handled the situation without arresting her.

SOURCE - WHDH

Dispatcher Hailed Hero For Helping Deaf Woman's Mother

Dispatcher hailed hero for helping Deaf woman's mother through by VRS.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- A Clarksville woman is grateful to a 911 dispatcher who got help to her Deaf mother Monday night. Lisa Prichard lives in Clarksville and was home when her mother texted her that something was wrong.

Prichard was able to video call her mother Joy Gournaris, 68, at Gournaris' Antioch home. "She was confused, she didn't understand what was going on and was getting ready to pass out," Prichard said.

Prichard knew if she tried to drive to her mother's home from Clarksville it would take her an hour. She was also concerned because it appeared her mother was having a stroke and every second counted.

Prichard kept her mother on video phone and called 911 from her Clarksville home. Clarksville's 911 center transferred her to Nashville where 911 Dispatcher Lori Bentley took over the phone call.

"While, I'm communicating with sign language with my mother I was talking to the dispatcher," Prichard said. "I had to really be calm and think about what I was saying. I wanted to cry and scream, but I stayed calm for my mother."

The video relay system Gournaris uses has a 911 emergency component that allows her to make emergency calls... Read The Full Story.