Text To 911 Now Available In San Diego County

San Diego CA

05 January, 2021

2:09 PM

Description

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA — Community members unable to call 911 during an emergency can now text 911 in San Diego County. The service works for the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, as well as all police, fire and emergency medical services agencies, the sheriff's department announced Tuesday. "Calling is still the fastest way to reach 911," sheriff's officials said in a news release. "However, there are situations when texting may be the better option." Officials said texting may be a better option in the following emergency situations: People who are deaf, hard of hearing, non-verbal or have difficulty speakingPeople in a situation where it's not safe to call 911 for helpPeople having a medical emergency and cannot speak on the phoneTo text 911, enter the numbers "911" in the "to" field. Give the location and nature of the emergency. Send the text message. Finally, respond to dispatcher questions and follow instructions. Currently, the service is only available in English. Messages sent to 911 cannot include other people.