The City of Santa Clara offers Text to 9-1-1 to report emergencies for those who cannot safely call 9-1-1 in a dangerous situation, or for those who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability.
Appropriate scenarios for texting 9-1-1 could include:
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 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 911. Emergency personnel cannot always determine your location
Be prepared to answer questions and follow instructions from the 9-1-1 call taker
Text in simple words – do not use abbreviations, emoticons or emoji or send videos or photos.
Keep text messages brief and concise
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 or while roaming
Don’t forget to silence your phone if you don’t want to be heard
Do not text and drive
In 2018, Santa Clara's Public Safety Dispatchers fielded 67 texts providing another layer of service to enhance public safety.
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.”
