“Call if you can. Text if you can’t.” is the key message rolled out as Text to 9-1-1 service becomes available for the greater Phoenix region.
If you are in imminent danger and unable to talk to a 9-1-1 operator, you now have the ability to Text to 9-1-1.
The service is live, following months of collaboration where Chandler Police Department has been an instrumental partner in developing Text to 9-1-1 with the Maricopa Associations of Governments, Maricopa Region 9-1-1, numerous public agencies, advocates for the disability community, the Arizona Center for Disability Law, and the National Association of the Deaf.
This is a crucial alternative to a voice call when someone is in danger and can’t talk out loud.
Texting to 9-1-1 makes emergency services more accessible to the more than 150,000 Valley residents who are deaf, hard of hearing, Deaf Blind, or have speech difficulties.
Maricopa County and Chandler are providing a model for the rest of the state and country in making their 9-1-1 services accessible to all.
Texting during an emergency could be helpful if you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, or if a voice call to 9-1-1 might otherwise be dangerous or impossible.
But if you are able to make a voice call to 9-1-1, and if it is safe to do so, you should always make a voice call to 9-1-1.