Dutchess County Launches Text-to-911
New Service Expands Access to Emergency Services
“Call If You Can, Text If You Can’t”
Poughkeepsie, NY… Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced today a new service is available for those who cannot safely call 911 in an emergency or who have a hearing or speech impairment. Dutchess County’s 911 Communications Center can now receive text messages, one of only nine counties in New York State to offer Text-to-911 service.
County Executive Molinaro said, “Following extensive testing, we are very pleased to announce Text-to-911 service in Dutchess County. This advancement in our Emergency Response services provides a critical tool for those who have a hearing or speech impairment or may be facing a situation where speaking a loud jeopardizes their safety. While dialing 911 is the preferred way to request help, that may not be always be possible and this new service can be a life-saving option. When uncertain about whether to call or text, simply remember ‘Call if you can, text if you can’t.’ ”
While Text-to-911 gives residents the ability to reach the Dutchess County 911 Communications Center by text messages, calling 9-1-1 is the recommended means of communicating with a public safety dispatcher. It is faster than texting and allows the dispatcher the ability to quickly gather critical information about the emergency and provide necessary instruction.
The 911 Communications Center has completed extensive testing and can accept texts from cell phone users served AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon, as well as cell phones with other carriers which use those networks. Individuals who are unsure whether their carrier provides the ability to text to 911 should contact their carriers directly and should NOT send “test” messages to 911.
In general, sending a text to 911 will not replace making a call. Situations for texting 911 rather than calling include:
• Deaf, hard of hearing callers or individuals with a speech disability
• Caller is unable to speak due to a medical issue or other condition
• Speaking out loud could put the caller in danger such as a domestic violence incident, home invasion, abduction or an active shooter scenario.
Should the situation warrant texting 911, the following are key instructions:
• Include clear information about the location of the emergency and the type of help needed in the first text message sent to 911.
• Be prepared to answer questions and follow instructions from the public safety dispatcher
• Text in simple words – do not use abbreviations, slang, emoticons or emoji and keep messages brief.
• Silence the phone so that it does not make noise when the dispatcher responds.
• The mobile device must be GPS-enabled.
• Sending a text to 911 may take longer than a voice call.
• Do not attach pictures or video.
• Do not copy anyone else on the text message; it is not intended for group conversations.
• DO NOT TEST THE SYSTEM; only use 911 for actual life-threatening emergencies. Testing the system could overload it and possibly delay a response to an actual emergency.
If service is not available or if a text message does not reach the 911 Center, the system will send the following message: Please make a voice call to 911. There is not text service to 911 available at this time.
911 Communications Center staff have trained extensively on the new system and tested it with members of the community, including hearing-impaired individuals. The testing has been successful with all of the carriers with a variety of phones throughout the county.
“The addition of text-to-911 is a vital enhancement for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing residents’ current ability to interact with 911 dispatchers,” said Jeanine Byrnes, Deaf/Hard of Hearing Services Community Liaison at Taconic Resources for Independence, Inc. “The new text-to-911 service will provide the local Deaf/Hard of Hearing community with a greater sense of security when accessing emergency services, and we thank Dutchess County for its leadership in keeping all its residents as safe as possible.”
