Thursday 2 October
14.00hrs
Emergency services throughout the South West of England are
enhancing their partnership working as the emergency text number
for Deaf, deafened, hard of hearing and speech impaired people
becomes available this month.
The 80999 text number has been used in Hampshire and the Isle of
Wight since 2004, where text messages are received directly in to
the police control room. The controller then calls for assistance
as required from any of the emergency services, including police,
fire, ambulance, coastguard, mountain and cave rescue.
There are now four more regions joining Hampshire Constabulary,
expanding this invaluable service to those who are deaf or speech
impaired right across the South West, encompassing the areas of
Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Dorset, Wiltshire, Avon and Somerset and
Devon and Cornwall.
Emergency services are publicising the number with a specially
designed leaflet which shows an example of the type of incident
where the service could be used. It shows a hearing impaired
woman who comes across a crashed car and texts for help.
This service has been introduced to improve access for deaf
people and speech impaired people to the emergency services, and
compliments the work of Avon and Somerset Constabulary’s Police
Link Officers for Deaf People (PLOD), which has been active for
almost five years.
The public launch of this service coincides with Learn to Sign
Week, an annual series of events coordinated by the British Deaf
Association which gives schools the opportunity to get involved,
with anything from learning British Sign Language to helping raise
money for the charity.
Head of Communications for Avon and Somerset Police, Chief
Superintendent Dave Hayler, said: “I am really excited to be part
of the expansion of this service, which has been very successful in
Hampshire.
“Many of us are fortunate enough not to require the emergency
services often, if at all, but just knowing you have access to them
can provide immense reassurance.
“This mobile text service gives that reassurance to people who
cannot use voice telecommunications and reduces a significant
barrier in an emergency situation.”
Avon Fire & Rescue Service Area Manager Brian McCutcheon,
Head of Risk Reduction, said, "We're delighted to be involved with
the expansion of this fantastic service for members of the deaf
community.
“We're committed to making our services available to all and
this is the latest in a number of partnership initiatives we are
involved in to ensure we are accessible to everyone in the
community."
Dr Ossie Rawstorne, Clinical Director for Great Western
Ambulance Service, welcomed the new service and said: "This
expansion of the 80999 text service is excellent news for deaf,
hard of hearing or speech impaired members of the public. It
ensures people with these disabilities can fully access urgent and
emergency care, whether it be for themselves or a friend or family
member. We are delighted to be involved in this service."
Important points about the service
This service is provided as a specific access service for people
who cannot use voice telephony and is not an additional service for
general contact. Voice contact to the 999 service remains the
choice for those able to access it.
There is no need to pre-register details in order to use the
service.
No text messages are guaranteed to arrive quickly, and the
service relies on the mobile phone companies and the network.
Hampshire Constabulary cannot be held responsible for delays in
receiving messages. A person using the service will know their
message has been received only when they receive a reply. Until a
reply is received, it is advisable to try other ways to contact the
emergency services.