Route Fifty: During the 2007 Virginia Tech mass shooting, students who were hiding in classrooms and elsewhere on campus didn’t end up calling 9-1-1 because they were afraid to speak on the phone fearing they might draw attention from the assailant. They ended up texting their parents or friends asking them to call 9-1-1, which delayed response by law enforcement.
That ended up being one of the most powerful arguments for S.B. 418, legislation that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed last week that mandates all local 9-1-1 call center operations in the state to accept text messages. The new law takes effect on July 1.
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