Text-to-911

If you have an emergency and need to contact 911, some areas now allow you to text 911.  Text-to-911 is free, works through short message service (SMS) with cellular carriers, and requires a text or data plan. 

Select counties in the following states now have the text-to-911 option:

-Colorado

-Georgia

-Illinois

-Indiana

-Iowa

-Maine

-Maryland

-Montana

-New York

-North Carolina

-Ohio

-Pennsylvania

-South Carolina

-Texas

-Vermont

-Virginia

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.

Directions:

-Enter 911 without spaces or hyphens.

-Self-identify as deaf.

-Text the reason for your emergency.

-Text your full address or cross streets.-Use complete words and sentences, not abbreviations.

-Don’t text 911 in a group chat or send photos, videos, GIFs, or emojis.

-Answer all of the operator’s questions. The operator will end the chat.

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