CA Residents Can Now Send Texts to 9-1-1
By Mark Gomez and Harry Harris
Source Mercury News
Oct. 12 -- A growing number of Bay Area residents who need to call for help during an emergency have a new option at their fingertips. They can text 911.
In San Mateo County, every law enforcement and fire agency dispatch center is now equipped to receive and respond to mobile phone text 911 messages, a capability that went live Thursday, according to San Mateo police.
Other Bay Area agencies already accept and respond to 911 text messages, including Santa Clara police, the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol Golden Gate Division.
The main message of all these law enforcement agencies was uniform: Call 911 whenever possible. But if calling is not an option, send the text to 911.
“We really want you to call 911,” said Judi Dziuba, communications manager for the Santa Clara Police Department. “In a crazy, chaotic situation, we want the information as fast as possible. We don’t want to replace calling for texting.
“However, we have a deaf and speech-impaired community we want to serve. And in those situations where someone is breaking into your house, where you can hide and text, those are the situations where we want to be accessible.”
Dziuba said a 911 text message could be helpful for victims of domestic violence who might be afraid or unable to call for help with an abuser nearby.
In San Mateo County, all phones or devices must include a text or data plan, be text capable, and have their location services enabled to send a text message to 911, according to the release.
“This technology directly benefits members of our deaf, hard of hearing and speech-impaired communities as they will now have a more efficient and effective way to request emergency services in times of need,” San Mateo police said in the news release. “Additionally, those who find themselves in a situation where it may too dangerous to dial 911 will have another option to call for help during an emergency.”
And at least two other law enforcement agencies in the Bay Area are in the process of implementing a 911 texting option.
Fremont police spokeswoman Geneva Bosques, whose department also dispatches for Union City, said the agencies are in the process of getting ready to launch a 911 text capability in the coming months.
She said the department just upgraded its 911 system three weeks ago, which was necessary in order to implement the texting.
“We are on target of our timeline to begin implementation in January 2019, but it will take a few months to bring on all of the cell phone providers,” Bosques said. “We will begin to test the first carrier in December or January.”
She said it would be for police calls only, and if they receive a medical text, call dispatchers would have to relay it by phone to fire dispatchers. Bosques said it “is not a perfect system but will definitely “assist our deaf community and/or those who can’t pick up their phone to call because they are in danger.”
But she also said they would still “strongly encourage our community to call 911 if they can.”
Police and fire departments in San Mateo County shared that sentiment, saying it’s best to call 911 and speak with a dispatcher.
San Mateo police offered the following tips for texting 911.
Always provide the exact location of the emergency
Text messages should be brief and easy to understand
Do not use abbreviations, emojis or slang
Remember that the ability to send/receive images and videos is limited and often dependent on the cellular provider
Texts can only be received in English at this time – this service will be available in additional languages in the near future
Staff writer Rick Hurd contributed to this report.
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