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Comment by osipovas | Hacker News Reader

We built the app to enable users to text 911 dispatchers their exact location and name at the right time — without unlocking their phone.

Earlier this year we saw Text-to-911 launch in several areas around the country with the effort to improve public safety.

It works wherever text to 911 is available (predominantly Chicago, Dallas, Indiana, Maine, and Vermont).

We would love your feedback and thoughts.

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With feature phones it was possible to dial <emergency> by feel, without removing the phone from my pocket (or making it obvious what I was doing). I'd love to be able to fire off an emergency SMS without having to expose my phone or having to use the touch screen.

In my head I'd love to be able to morse-code SOS on the volume keys as a trigger. Possibly once on the v-down, phone vibrates and then again on the up to stop accidents.

I wonder if the UK can accept SMS messages on it's 999 or 111 service... love the app though :)

I like it, but i'd be too afraid of accidental button clicks to install it. (May not be safe, but it is what it is)

When the location isn't available, and they try to use it and you state that it isn't available...

Can you at that point have an option to initiate a call to 911 (through a locked screen)? I'm not familiar with android development.

No. On Android only System Apps have permissions to place a call to 911 or other Emergency Numbers (112 etc). We can definitely dial the emergency number, 911 in North America, for the user (they still need to unlock the phone to press the "Call Button" unfortunately.

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