Press Release | Office of the Mayor | Text-to-911 Technology Now Available to Westland and Other Western Wayne Communities

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 724.721.2310

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

Text-to-911 Technology Now Available to Westland and Other Western Wayne Communities

Westland, MI -- Mayor William R, who serves as chair of the Conference of Western Wayne (CWW) along with law enforcement officials from all Western Wayne County communities announced the availability of text-to-911 emergency services as part of CWW's "Call if you can, text if you can't" public safety program.

With advancements in mobile phone technology leading to a large number of residents using SMS text messaging for various communications, the elected leaders and law enforcement officials of the 18 CWW communities began working in 2015 to test and implement new technology empowering citizens positioned in CWW communities, including Detroit-Wayne County Metropolitan Airport, to send SMS text messages to local 911 emergency centers when seeking help or to report emergencies when voice calling is not an option.

Text-to-911 is an important new service that offers citizens who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, a new way to contact emergency services. Other examples of a citizen needing text-to-911 service could include domestic violence, kidnapping and other situations where victims need a way to call for help without tipping off a criminal during the commission of a crime.

"Our 18 communities did something you don't hear much about these days; We worked together to benefit everyone," commented Mayor Wild. "We work tirelessly to grow Western Wayne County and provide our citizens with the best services possible. And as a region we chose to combine our efforts to bring this new access to 911 to our 700,000 residents, 100,000 businesses and all those who travel through and work in our communities every day. Public safety is the first priority of local government and the CWW prides itself on protecting our citizens."

Anyone who is within the borders of the 18 CWW communities can use the free service, as long as they have a texting plan with one of the four major carriers: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon. The service is activated by sending a SMS text on a mobile phone to the number "911". That text message will be routed to the nearest CWW 911 dispatch center for action.

CWW officials emphasized that text-to-911 is a compliment to calling 911, not a replacement, because voice calls to 911 are still the most efficient way to communicate with public safety officials in an emergency situation.

For more information, contact Aubrey Berman, Administrative Secretary, at (734) 467-3200.

Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Western Wayne Fire Association firefighters collaboratively serving the Cities of Wayne and Westland are licensed paramedics who responded to over 13,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds of shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, on of the country's original four regional malls.

Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more than 40 parks and 1,500 acres of trails, a 9-hole golf course, hockey arena, athletic fields, playscapes, a Farmers and Artisans Market and more. One of Michigan's most environmentally friendly cities, Westland has a progressive curbside recycling program with one of the highest participation rates in the nation and the City is raising the bar for cultural experiences with the placement of public art throughout the City.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

Westland's philosophy is that government should embrace good business principles. Providing oversight over the City's operating budget of $60 million dollars, Westland is the only community in Wayne County with a 3-year balanced budget and an approximately 10 percent budget surplus.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.