Text to 911

When should you text?

Texting to 9-1-1 is an option for individuals that are:

• Deaf
• Hard of hearing
• Have a speech impairment
• In an emergency situation where a voice call is not possible

With texting to 9-1-1 now available, why is it still so important to call?

• When seconds matter, a conversation is the best and fastest way for a dispatcher to retrieve and deliver life-saving information.
• There is no replacement to the calm voice on the other end of a line in a true emergency.

How does it work?

• Your phone must have a data plan that supports texting.
• Find the text icon on your phone, tap new message, type 911 (no space or dash) in the “to” field
• Make sure to include the street address, city and/or town
• Include the type of emergency; Police, Fire or Medical
• Currently our system is not capable of receiving photos or videos, just plain text messages.
• Do not send a group text
• And Do not use acronyms, abbreviations or emoji’s

9-1-1 responders will reply to your text.  If your text didn’t go through you’ll receive a message letting you know.

Bounce-back messages
If you attempt to send a text to 911 where the service is not yet available, FCC rules require all wireless carriers and other text messaging providers to send an automatic “bounce-back” message that will advise you to contact emergency services by another means, such as making a voice call or using telecommunications relay service (for persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability). Bounce-back messages are intended to minimize your risk of mistakenly believing that a text to 911 has been transmitted to an emergency call center.