Text-To-911 Service Now Offered In Petaluma

PETALUMA, CA — As of 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, the Petaluma Police Department now offers Text-to-911 service for residents experiencing an emergency who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability, or who cannot safely call 9-1-1 in a dangerous situation.

Call If You Can, Text If You Can’t

"Call if you can, text if you can't" is the slogan developed by the Federal Communications Commission —FCC — as the new technology continues to make its debut in parts of California.

Dialing 911 in an emergency is still the preferred way to request help, Petaluma police said, but: "Call if you can, text if you can't." For most people, sending a text to 911 will not replace making a call.

Petaluma PD provided some appropriate scenarios for texting 911 instead of calling:

• Deaf, hard of hearing callers or individuals with a speech disability
• The caller is unable to speak due to a medical issue or other condition
• When speaking out loud would put the caller in danger, such as a home invasion, an abduction, a domestic violence incident or an active-shooter scenario.

Tips For Texting 911 In An Emergency

• Be sure to include clear information about the location (including city) of the emergency with the type of help needed (police, fire, or medical) in the first text message sent to 911. Emergency personnel cannot always determine your location.
• Be prepared to answer questions and follow instructions from the 9-1-1 call taker.
• Text messages should be brief, easily understood, and should not contain abbreviations, emojis, or slang.
• Stay on the line until the dispatcher closes the dialog, if it is safe to do so.
• You cannot include 9-1-1 in a group text.
• If you are roaming, text service is dependent on roaming provider.
• Don’t forget to silence your phone if you don’t want to be heard.
• Do not text and drive

Limitations Of Text-To-911 Service

Petaluma police noted that Text to 911 does have limitations, as it only works in cities that provide the service. Also, unlike a voice call, text messages are not real-time communication and are subject to issues such as messages being received out of order or being delayed to carrier limitations and volume.

Text to 911 requires a cellphone that has the capability to send text messages, and location services must be enabled. While currently, the texting service is only available in English, other language solutions are in development and will be implemented as soon as they become available. Similarly, the system cannot receive photos and videos at this time.

Read Frequently Asked Questions about Text to 911 in Petaluma.

For more information about Text to 911 in Petaluma, contact police Lt. Ron Klein at 707-778-4530 or rklein@cityofpetaluma.org.