Starting Sunday, Miami Beach residents and visitors will be able to request emergency assistance by text message as the city launches a new Text-to-911 service.
The feature will also be available throughout Miami-Dade County, covering all seven 911 centers, including the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Miami Beach, Miami, Hialeah, Coral Gables, Aventura and the Village of Pinecrest.
“Text-to-911 makes it easier to ask for help when calling may not be possible,” said Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner in a press release. “It’s a practical tool that can make a life-saving difference — as we further enhance public safety measures.”
Text-to-911 allows anyone to send emergency text messages from any major wireless carrier. The service is designed to help people who are hearing or speech impaired, or anyone in a situation where calling 911 could be unsafe or impossible due to poor reception.
“The implementation of Text-to-911 is a vital step toward making emergency services more accessible to everyone in our community,” added Miami Beach Fire Chief Digna Abello in the press release. “This technology will give people in emergency situations another way to reach us when every second counts.”
To use the service, users should text 911 directly, avoid group texts, and clearly state the emergency and location in the message body. Officials ask users to silence their phones if safety is a concern and avoid using abbreviations, slang, emojis, photos or videos.
Authorities said that while text messages and calls will receive the same response, calling 911 is still preferred when possible for the fastest emergency communication.
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