Dispatch centers in Washoe County are now accepting text messages to 9-1-1.  It's a new program designed to help accessibility to some, but public safety officials want to make it very clear that if you need to report an emergency, only text if you can't call.  This texting system was designed primarily for people with disabilities that have trouble communicating.

"For people who have a speech deficiency, or who are hearing impaired or maybe have autism or some sort of disability where they can't get a message through to a dispatcher as clearly as they need to," said Erin Yeung, Public Safety and Dispatch Supervisor for the City of Reno.

It could also come in handy in some emergency situations where talking on the phone would put someone in more danger. 

 

"So if you have somebody in a closet hiding from an intruder, that would be an appropriate use of texting 911," Yeung said.

If you're in a situation where you can't call and need to text, send the text message only to 9-1-1 and no other recipients.  Make sure you tell dispatch where you are and what the problem is, and don't send any pictures, videos or emojis - the technology can't handle that.

"If you send a picture of a fire, or a fist for a fight, that picture is not going to come through and that message is not going to be clear," Yeung said.

Try not to use acronyms or abbreviations.  

"Some of our dispatchers may not know what brb means so be clear and concise," Yeung said. "It'll get you help a whole lot faster."

The process usually takes a little longer than a phone call, so for most emergencies, calling 9-1-1 is still the fastest, safest way to get help.

"I think the main challenge is for people not to use it for everyday emergencies," Yeung said.  "It's so easy to just send a text and not worry about it; however it does double the workload for our dispatchers here."

Sending a 9-1-1 text is the same to dispatch as calling 9-1-1, so dispatchers will be wholly involved with that text, same as a phone call.  

This feature may not be available outside Washoe County, so if you try to text 9-1-1 from somewhere else, you'll likely get a bounce back message saying to call instead.  

The texting feature requires a cellular data plan.

More information: www.ThinkBeforeYouDial.com

Â