Hello, my name is Hunter Forte and the inspiration for this
blog, Virginia Emergency Response Text Service, came from my experience with
O.A.R. and the need to become more familiar with current communication
technology. As a Co-Facilitator for O.A.R. meetings, I learned a wealth of
information that would assist me with my own relationships as well as those of
others, and wondered why better services weren’t yet being provided for victims
of violent crime. Opportunities, Alternatives, and Resources (O.A.R.), in
Fairfax, Virginia, is a non-profit organization that seeks to rehabilitate domestic
violence offenders on probation or parole. Due to my experience with my
Bachelor of Science in Criminology, Law and Society degree from George Mason
University, and O.A.R., I wondered how often victims of violent crime or
previous victims of violent crime, found themselves in situations where they
couldn’t call 911, and would rather text instead. Thus, the text service would
be a hotline specifically for violent crimes such as burglary or domestic
violence.
An
advocate for counseling would receive the text and through an exchange of
information, contact the nearest police station to the victim that would be of
assistance. The signal from the victim’s phone would be simultaneously sent to
the other nearest emergency services in the area. They would then be alerted to
the victim. Afterwards, other services would be alerted from the emergency
response teams for after a resolution is reached. The mission of the service is to simplify and accelerate emergency responses of fire departments, law enforcement agencies, and EMT using text messaging.
Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.
Hunter, I believe V.E.R.T Service will be an excellent service for victims of domestic violence. This discrete yet very important platform may save many lives. And, once you start to use it, you will be able to identify other ways this technology can be useful for other crime victims. (if you’re interested in expanding your service)
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ReplyDeleteAs technology continues to shape how we as a society communicate, I think V.E.R.T Services is a bold step in changing the way victims report emergency situations. Hunter, this might just be the greatest invention regarding emergency responses since the house alarm system was created.
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ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea and I can see this succeeding. It can certainly save lives and you sound very dedicated. It will require a lot of work, but if your mind is in it then you can most certainly convince others.
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