TEXT-TO-911 NOW AVAILABLE IN SKAGIT COUNTY

PRESS RELEASE March 1, 2022

Contact Danica Sessions danicas@co.skagit.wa.us 360-416-1500

 

Text-to-911 now available in Skagit County

Call if You Can, Text if You Can’t

Beginning today, Skagit 911 is pleased to announce it can now accept Text-to-911 messages in an emergency.

It is still preferred that individuals with emergencies call 911. Text-to-911 is primarily intended for use by the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or those with speech difficulties.

Text-to-911 will also work when an emergency occurs where it is unsafe to place a voice call to 911, or for a location where cell coverage is spotty, however a text may go through.

A few things to know about how Text-to-911 works:

• When using Text-to-911 the first message should be the location of the emergency (including City) and the type of emergency help needed (police, fire, or medical).
• Keep text messages brief and concise, using full words.
• Be prepared to answer questions and follow instructions from the 911 call taker.
• Photos, videos, emojis and links/URLs cannot be sent to 911 at this time.
• Interpretation service for text messages is not currently available.

Only use Text-to-911 if you are unable to make a voice call. Text-to-911 could impact the relay of information to emergency responders.

Text-to-911 service is not available in all areas in Washington state. If you send a text to 911 from an area without Text-to-911 capabilities, you should receive a message saying there is no such service available and to make a voice call to 911.

For more details and updates about Text-to-911, go to www.skagit911.us