A new way to contact emergency services is now available throughout South Dakota, with the exception of parts of Todd County.
South Dakota Department of Public Safety Secretary Craig Price says Text-to-9-1-1 should only be used in an emergency when you can’t call 9-1-1. He says the Text-to-911 option is good to use if speaking out loud would put the caller in danger or if the caller is deaf, hard-of-hearing or speech impaired.
Price says Text-to-9-1-1 is not yet 100% activated in Todd County. He says people texting 9-1-1 in that county will receive a message saying the text service is unavailable and will be directed to make a 9-1-1 call instead. A text sent to 9-1-1 will be routed to a local emergency services dispatch center, like phone calls currently are.
People who are unable to call 9-1-1, should remember these steps about Text-to-9-1-1:
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Don’t text and drive.
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In the first text message, send the location and type of emergency.
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Text in simple words; keep the text message short without the use of abbreviations or slang.
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Be prepared to answer questions and follow instructions from the 9-1-1 call taker.
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Voice calls to 9-1-1 are still the best and fastest way to contact 9-1-1.
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Call 9-1-1 if you can, text if you can’t.
For more information on the Text-to-9-1-1 program in South Dakota, visit text911sd.com.
The state 9-1-1 Coordination Program is part of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.
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