Texting to 911 has some very positive benefits, such as allowing the deaf and hard of hearing communities to communicate with 911 directly without a relay service or TTY/TDD device. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) is now able to receive texts to 911. It is available through the four major wireless carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon). To make sure you can use this feature, check with your cellular service provider.
Here are some things you should know now that ACSO can receive your texts:
- If you can safely make a voice call to 911, please do that rather than texting. ACSO receives more information regarding your location and can gather pertinent information more quickly by talking directly to you.
- If you text 911 in an area the system is not ready (outside of Arapahoe County), you will receive an automatically generated bounce-back reply advising you that you need to contact 911 by voice call or other means.
- The 911 center will not charge you to text ACSO, but your service provider may. Make sure you know what your wireless plan includes as it pertains to texting and data usage.
- Whether you text or call, 911 is an emergency number. Make sure to use this for emergencies only and not as a toy. Very similar to 911 receiving a prank voice call, prank texting is a serious problem and will tie up a 911 line and a dispatcher. This will take that 911 line and dispatcher away from someone who may need emergency services. Only call or text 911 when you have an emergency!
More Information
Text to 911: What You Need To Know | Federal Communications Commission (fcc.gov)