Deaf Man's 911 Text Saves House From Fire

Deaf News - Deaf man's 911 text went to operators at Oakland County Dispatch Center to saves house from fire.



ROCHESTER HILLS, MI -- WDIV Detroit: It seems as if people text more than they talk in modern days. That's why some communities have started allowing people to text 911.



Residents in Oakland County are allowed to text 911 and a message will appear on a screen for a dispatcher to read. A Deaf Rochester Hills man said the texting system saved his house from burning down.



The fire started when the man's mother, Mary Powers, tried to clean the oven.



"I smelled something and I came out here and the oven was on fire," Powers said.



She ran back in the room to tell her son, Scott Powers, to get help.



"I told him to call 911," she said.



Her son pulled out his cellphone but didn't dial.



"That means text because he's Deaf," Powers said.



"I'm Deaf, I can't talk on the phone, need fire department immediately," the text read.



The text went right through to operators at the Oakland County Dispatch Center.



Oakland County has been equipped with the 911 text messaging for just over a year. They average around 12 emergency text messages a day. Scott Powers owns his house and is thankful the county can accommodate his needs.



"I like to be independent without depending on other people," he said. "I used to think, 'What would I do if my house was on fire?' The first thing I used to think was, 'Run to my neighbor.'"



He's fortunate to live in an area where he can get emergency help. He hopes other communities will get on board with the technology.



"When I'm on the road visiting a friend, sometimes it doesn't work," Powers said. "I'll text 911. I'd get a response back saying it's not available."



This was the first time the Rochester Hills Fire Department benefited from the 911 text. But they realize this will likely not be the last time.



SOURCE

Deaf Justice In Detroit

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf people are serving as jurors in courts across the area of Detroit, Michigan.



DETROIT (WXYZ) - Justice is supposed to be blind, but what if it’s also Deaf? The 7 Investigators have learned that jurors who are Deaf are serving on juries more and more.



Judges say in the past, Deaf jurors usually did not make it onto a jury to render a verdict. They’re thrilled that the courts are becoming more inclusive, and as we discovered, Deaf jurors are also changing the dynamics of deliberations.



Inside the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in downtown Detroit, judges hold more than 500 jury trials every year. In this recent armed robbery trial, not everyone inside Judge Timothy Kenny’s courtroom could actually hear the witnesses.



That’s because for the first time in more than 18 years on the bench, Judge Kenny had the opportunity to seat a Deaf juror to help decide this case.

Watch Detroit WXYZ with Closed Captions - HERE.



“I think it’s important for people who do have disabilities to think that this is not a segment of their life that they’re shut out from,” said Judge Kenny.



The court had two highly trained and certified sign language interpreters ready to go the day Juror #13 arrived for jury duty. University Translators Services provided the interpreters for the trial.



They are sworn in and the judge gives them clear instructions that when they’re interpreting inside the jury room for deliberations: they can never express their own views on the evidence.



“They recognize that's what their role is, and they’re not there to provide any editorial comment,” said Judge Kenny.



After 4 days of testimony, juror #13 - the Deaf juror was chosen to deliberate with 11 others. They found the defendant in this case not guilty. “I think every Deaf person has the ability to serve on a jury,” said Leah Scarpace. Read more wxyz.com/news/local-news/investigations/more-and-more-deaf-jurors-are-serving-in-local-courts