How to Call Emergency Services in an Emergency Situation
At some point, you may find yourself in the epicenter of an emergency, and although you have a mobile phone, you will not be able to call or speak to the emergency operator. You may want to be silent because you are hiding; you may be injured that will prevent you from speaking; or you may have poor reception, preventing you from making a voice call. In such cases, you can send a text message to 911 instead.
In 2014, the country’s largest cellular operators launched the Text-to-911 program , in which text messages sent to 911 will be forwarded to the local police station. However, the implementation of the program on their side had to be carried out by local police departments and call centers. In the five years since the program was launched, many jurisdictions have added this capability, making emergency text messaging an option for more people.
Find out if it works in your area
The FCC monitors which jurisdictions have implemented the Text-to-911 program. You can download this list here and search by state, city, or county. If you are not already on the list, check it periodically; The FCC updates the registry once a month.
If the program is active in your area, you can text 911 as you would any other person. Just open a new text message in your phone’s messaging app, enter 911 as the recipient, enter your message, and hit Send.
If it is not available in your area and you try to send text, you will receive a refund message to notify you that your message was not sent.
What you should and shouldn’t send
Text messaging is a slower way to communicate and the operator won’t be able to ask as many quick follow-up questions, so CNET recommends including as much information as possible in the first message you send. Don’t forget to include your address or location right away; they may or may not receive this information automatically, depending on the equipment they use.
It is recommended that you include your location, as well as any nearby intersections and the name of the building, park, or business you are in. Additionally, tell me what the situation is, is anyone injured, is there a weapon, etc.
Try to include as much information as possible in one message to save time and avoid repeatedly turning on the backlight of your phone screen when you are trying to hide.
If you are unable to speak on the phone, include this in your message as well, because the operator may first suggest that you try calling instead. Do not send group text messages, photos or videos to 911 – operators cannot access any of them on their system.
Also, be as clear as possible by avoiding slang words, acronyms, and emoticons. CNET offers the following example of a helpful emergency text message: “Help, someone broke into my house on 123 Main Street. I’m hiding in an upstairs closet, can’t talk on the phone.”
However, if possible, the FCC recommends calling 911 rather than texting. This is still the fastest and most reliable way to get help.
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