Text-to-911 is now available in Miami-Dade County
By: Deborah Dietz
Starting on June 1st, Text-to-911 is now available in Miami-Dade County.
Residents can now send text messages to 911 during emergency situations.
The Text-to-911 service is operational across all of Miami-Dade County’s 911 call centers.
This initiative serves to assist individuals who are Deaf, hard of hearing, speech-impaired or in situations where speaking could be dangerous.
To use the service, users should send a text message to 911, clearly stating the nature of the emergency and their exact location.
Calling 911 still remains the preferred method of emergency communication, and residents should only use the text-to-911 service in place of a phone call if necessary.
Click here to watch a video about how to use Text-to-911
Important Information:
- The Text to 911 works like any other text message.
- A person would initiate a text by typing 911 in the to field.
- The text cannot be longer than 160 characters per text message.
- The texter will be greeted with “Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, what’s the address of the emergency?”
- As of right now, text messages must be in English, and the 911 call taker will not use abbreviations, jargon, or slang.
- The call will be screened just as if the person called 911.
