Published On: Wed, Jul 24th, 2019

911 Emergency Text Service Prospers in PBC

Did you know you can contact the police through a simple text message chain? According to Palm Beach Post, the “Text-to-911” emergency service, has been proved successful through its first year of operation in Palm Beach County.

The texting emergency service proves vital in offering a fast way to relay a message to the authorities in a high-stakes situation, one of the most common cases seen through this service has been domestic violence. Dan Koenig, Palm Beach County’s 911 planning coordinator, stated they have responded to around 25 emergencies a month solely based on the 911 text service.

As of right now, 40 counties in Florida offer the service and 13 more are scheduled to begin using the service by the end of 2021.

In order to properly use the 911 text service, individuals must be  aware of several issues:

  1. Dispatchers cannot track your location from the text you send. You must establish a proper location within the text in order to inform dispatchers.
  2. The system does not accept any type of media, you may only send simple, English messages.
  3. You must avoid the use of slang or abbreviations in order to ensure your message is properly deduced.

If you have any tips on a crime or case, reach out to Crime Stoppers at:

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