New Text Service For 911 Operator
While you never hope or expect to be in an emergency situation, Broward County is making it easier to reach out for help. You can now text 911 to request police, fire or medical assistance in addition to the traditional dialing of 911.
The official slogan of the new service is “Call if you can, text only if you can’t.”
The service is available to the public only in situations where it’s unsafe to make a phone call, such as a domestic violence situation or when there is an active shooter. The 911 text service is part of a $353 million investment approved by the Broward County Commission.
The program also benefits members of the community who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired. One potential downside to the service, however, is that users must know their location to receive help.
Although the new emergency service sounds a lot more convenient, officials advise that it is better to actually dial 911 in emergency situations. Broward Mayor Mark Bogen, Commissioner Michael Udine, and Broward sheriff’s Col. Sean Zukowsky, stressed that texting should be a second option.
“The preference is to call 911 and speak to an operator,” Bogen said at a media conference Tuesday morning, reported by the Miami Herald. “We cannot find you by your cell signal. Text messages may take longer than calling 911 or may not be received at all. How many of us remember sending a text that didn’t go through?”
By: Maytinee Kramer
