The Durango/La Plata 911 Emergency Communication Center has announced the Text-to-911 option for emergencies. Text-to-911 is designed to assist those who are deaf, hard of hearing, speech impaired or who may be unsafe if they were to be heard making a voice call.
Text-to-911 is available in La Plata County with plans from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. Callers must have an active phone service plan with data to use the service; it will not work with third-party texting applications.
This option is appropriate in situations including: emergencies in which the caller is deaf, hard of hearing or has a speech disability; emergencies in which the caller cannot speak because of a medical condition or accident; and emergencies involving abduction, domestic violence, an intruder, active shooter or other situation that would put the caller in danger if they make a voice call.
To use the service, text 911 in the field for a phone number. Do not use any other numbers. Make sure to: provide your exact address or location, explain the type of emergency or help needed, be prepared to answer any questions that the 911-telecommunicator texts back and use plain language. Do not use abbreviations, symbols, emoticons or photos, make messages brief and concise.
Text-to-911 may not be available outside of La Plata County. If a text is made to 911 where the service is not available, a message will be sent back to the phone advising the customer to make a voice call.
Voice calls are the best way to contact 911. The text service should only be used in situations where a voice call is not possible or safe.
