The Mono County Sheriff’s Office is now offering Text to 9-1-1 services for our residents and visitors to Mono County to report emergencies. Dialing 9-1-1 in an emergency is still the preferred way to request help, and the public is reminded to “Call if you can, text if you can’t.” For most people, sending a text to 9-1-1 should not replace making a call.

Appropriate scenarios for texting 9-1-1 include:

• Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or who have 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.

Text to 9-1-1 requires a cell phone that has the capability to send text messages, and location services must be enabled. Currently, the texting service is only available in English; other language solutions are in development and will be added as soon as they become available. The system cannot receive photos and videos at this time.

Tips on texting 9-1-1 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

9-1-1. 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.

If it is safe to do so, keep your texting app open until the dispatcher ends the conversation.

You cannot include 9-1-1 in a group text.

If you are roaming, text service is dependent on roaming provider.

Put your phone on “silent” if you don’t want to be heard by people threatening to you or near you.

Do not text and drive.

Text to 9-1-1 Frequently Asked Questions What is Text to 9-1-1 technology?

• Text to 9-1-1 is the ability to send a text message to 9-1-1 from your mobile phone or handheld device.

Can I Text to 9-1-1 everywhere?

• Text to 9-1-1 is not available everywhere.

• If Text to 9-1-1 is not available in your area, or is temporarily unavailable, you should receive a message indicating that Text to 9-1-1 is not available and to contact 9-1-1 by other means.

• You must subscribe to your wireless carrier’s text or data plan to send or receive text messages.

When should I text 9-1-1?

• Dialing 9-1-1 in an emergency is still the preferred way to request help, and the public is reminded to “Call if you can. Text if you can’t.”

• Text to 9-1-1 is intended primarily for use in three emergency scenarios:

1. For an individual who is deaf, hard-of-hearing or has a speech disability.

2. For someone who is in a situation where it is not safe to place a voice call to 9-1-1.

3. A medical emergency that renders the person incapable of speech.

• ONLY text 9-1-1 in an emergency. Prank-texters can be identified and will be subject to prosecution according to local laws and regulations.

What are the challenges with text to 9-1-1 service?

• As with all text messages, Text to 9-1-1 may take longer to receive and respond to than a voice call, does not provide the location of the texter, could be received out of order, or may not be received at all.

• Text GPS location information is not equal to current wireless location technology.

• Voice calls are real-time communication and Text to 9-1-1 is not.

“Call if you can, text if you can’t” is the slogan developed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as the new technology makes its debut in parts of California.