From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
ASHVILLE — The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office announced a new tool to help citizens contact 911, in emergency situations.
Alabama Text 911 went active on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020. A coordinated effort between Alabama 911, the 911 Call Center in St. Clair County and a text platform company, INdigital, made the move possible.
Individual jurisdictions will be able to choose how they want to implement the service, according to Sheriff Billy Murray.
“St. Clair County implemented TEXTY on October 23, 2019,” said Murray. “The sheriff’s office has spent the past few months training, and familiarizing dispatchers with the system.”
The sheriff’s office said voice calls are always best when reporting an emergency to 911, but the text service is available for those who are unable to make a phone call. Also, texters should know to provide location information. Abbreviations or slang should never be used in a text to 911.
The texting service should never be used in a non-emergency situation.
Communicating with 911 dispatchers by voice is more effective than text-to-911. Using text should be limited to the following circumstances:
- When calling 911 is not possible, such as if the caller is deaf, hearing or speech impaired. If a caller is otherwise unable to speak, because of a medical condition (such as a stroke). If speaking would be unsafe, as in the case of abduction or home invasion.
