City of Kirksville Implements Text-to-911 Service
Text-to-911 service is now available at the Adair County Emergency Communications Center.
This new technology is designed to assist those who are speaking- or hearing-impaired, or someone in a situation where they are unable to speak or speaking aloud would put them in greater danger. It is not designed to be a more convenient option than calling 911.
To text 911 in an emergency, simply enter 911 in the “To” field of a phone. The first message to 911 should be brief and contain the location of the emergency. A dispatcher will be connected and they will respond with additional questions or instructions. Pictures and videos are unable to be sent at this time.
Some helpful tips to know when texting 911:
• As with all text messages, 911 messages can take longer to receive, can get out of order or may not be received.
• Use plain language with no abbreviations.
• A text or data plan is required to place a text to 911.
• If texting 911 is not available in an area, or is temporarily unavailable, the person will receive a message indicating that texting 911 is not available and to contact 911 by other means.
• Text-to-911 can’t include more than one person. Do not send the emergency text to anyone other than 911.
• There may be instances when a voice call can’t connect, but a text can still go through.
• Adair County’s text-to-911 system includes limited foreign language translation ability.
• If someone accidentally texts 911, send a reply stating it was a mistake and there is no emergency.
• The Adair County Emergency Communications Center can initiate text messaging from the 911 Center. If they receive a 911 hang-up call from a number and cannot reach the person with a voice call, they may text to confirm that there is no emergency.
This new technology is designed to assist those who are speaking- or hearing-impaired, or someone in a situation where they are unable to speak or speaking aloud would put them in greater danger. It is not designed to be a more convenient option than calling 911.
To text 911 in an emergency, simply enter 911 in the “To” field of a phone. The first message to 911 should be brief and contain the location of the emergency. A dispatcher will be connected and they will respond with additional questions or instructions. Pictures and videos are unable to be sent at this time.
Some helpful tips to know when texting 911:
• As with all text messages, 911 messages can take longer to receive, can get out of order or may not be received.
• Use plain language with no abbreviations.
• A text or data plan is required to place a text to 911.
• If texting 911 is not available in an area, or is temporarily unavailable, the person will receive a message indicating that texting 911 is not available and to contact 911 by other means.
• Text-to-911 can’t include more than one person. Do not send the emergency text to anyone other than 911.
• There may be instances when a voice call can’t connect, but a text can still go through.
• Adair County’s text-to-911 system includes limited foreign language translation ability.
• If someone accidentally texts 911, send a reply stating it was a mistake and there is no emergency.
• The Adair County Emergency Communications Center can initiate text messaging from the 911 Center. If they receive a 911 hang-up call from a number and cannot reach the person with a voice call, they may text to confirm that there is no emergency.
