After more than two years of hard work, residents of the City of Dublin that reside in Franklin County and Delaware County can now send text messages to 911 communication technicians.
If you are in a situation where it is too dangerous to call, text ‘Help’ to 911. A communication tech will reply asking what the emergency is. You can continue contact through text until the situation is safe to call.
“Calling is better than texting because emergency dispatchers can get more immediate answers to questions from callers, listen for distress in voices and even listen for background information that could assist police in a potentially life-threatening emergency,” said Jay Somerville, Bureau Director of Technical Services for the Dublin Police Department.
Text-to-911 works on cell phones, tablets and other devices with the capability of sending texts. Though the initial Text-to-911 rollout will not include the ability to send pictures and videos, partners throughout Franklin County and Dublin will keep working with individual agencies and expect this to happen at some point in the future.
If you reside outside of the county jurisdictions where this service is not available and you send a text to 911, you will receive an automatic bounce-back advising you to contact emergency services another way.
For more information about the new Text-to-911 service, go to www.text911.franklincountyohio.gov.
Media contact:
Melanie Amato
Public Information Officer
614.410.4501 – Desk
614.318.3009 – Cell
mamato@dublin.oh.us
Newsroom: http://dublinohiousa.gov/newsroom
@DublinOhio | @DublinPolice | www.DublinOhioUSA.gov
