A new way to contact emergency services is now available throughout South Dakota, with the exception of a portion 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 a few technical things need to be worked out between the state and the dispatch center in Todd County to get Text-to-9-1-1 completely activated there.
Price says a text sent to 9-1-1 will be routed to a local emergency services dispatch center, just like 9-1-1 phone calls 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.
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