Wireless customers can now text 911 all across Southwestern Pennsylvania if there’s a situation where they can’t call.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Emergency Response Regional Task Force said this allows people with hearing and/or speech impairments to access 911, as well as people in situations where it’s unsafe to talk.

Non-emergency calls should still be communicated to emergency services through non-emergency phone lines, the task force said.

Allegheny County began using text-to-911 since 2014, but residents and visitors could not use that once they crossed the border into neighboring counties.

The task force shared a helpful step-by-step guide and some frequently asked questions:

How to text 911 in an emergency

Text-to-911 is easy! Simply send a short but detailed, text message of the location of your emergency, your municipality, and the reason for the emergency message to 911 using this step-by-step guide:

In the “To” field, enter the numbers 9-1-1.

The first text message should contain:

• The address/location of the emergency, including municipality (if known). The information from your cell phone is not enough for operators to find you.
• The type of help needed (fire, ambulance, police, etc.).
• Be prepared to answer questions and follow instructions from the 911 operator (you may want to place your phone on silent so not to alert intruders.)

Once you have typed a short but detailed text message with the information listed above, click “send.”

• Use simple words and do not use abbreviations or slang.
• Do not send photos or videos.
• Do not send your emergency text to anyone other than 911 (for example, no group texts).

As with all text messages, 911 texts may take longer to be received, may be received out of order, or may not be received at all. Therefore, it may take slightly longer to dispatch emergency services originating from a text.

Call if you can, text if you can’t!

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will a deactivated phone be able to text to 911?  No, a text or data plan is required to place a text to 911.
• If my phone service indicates roaming, will Text-to-911 be available? No, Text-to-911 is not available if you are roaming.
• Are all cell phone carriers able to support Text-to-911? While our region has the appropriate technology in place, not all carriers are ready to offer this capability.
• What if Text-to-911 is not available? You will receive a “bounce back” message telling you that this service is not available in your area and to contact 911 by other means.

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