Public Education
CALLING 9-1-1 FROM YOUR CELL PHONE:
When calling 9-1-1 from your cell, know your location!
Cell phone 9-1-1 calls do not automatically provide your location to dispatchers.
9-1-1 needs to know where the emergency is before help can be sent.
Know your exact location, including cross streets, mileposts or landmarks.
Give the dispatcher your cell phone number, including area code. If your 9-1-1 call is disconnected, call again.
Texting 9-1-1? NO WAY!
If you have an emergency, CALL 9-1-1. Don’t text 9-1-1 from your cell phone!
Washington State’s current 9-1-1 telephone system is designed around voice communications. Until upgrades are in place, Washington’s 9-1-1 system cannot deliver text data to 9-1-1 call centers around the state.
So for now, if you have an emergency, you must make a voice call to 9-1-1 and be ready to provide your name, location, and type of emergency.
For information on this subject please call (509) 843-3494 or email mhirsch@co.garfield.wa.us.