Text to 911 Now Available in Marion County

Sheriff John Layton is pleased to announce that Text to 911 is now available in Marion County. After nearly a year of system upgrades and testing, the Marion County Sheriff’s 911 Center, one of the busiest 911 centers in the country, is one of the very first 911 Centers of its size to implement Text to 911. The service is available to AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless users.

 “The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is a nation-wide leader among 911 Centers, and this giant technological advancement is a great example of that leadership. I am grateful to the 911 Center telecommunicators and staff for their continued commitment to their evolving job responsibilities, and our partners in public safety, who have helped implement this advancement. Our top priority is the safety of Marion County residents, and this makes it easier for residents to contact 911 in their emergencies. I’m very proud of this accomplishment.” -Sheriff John Layton

Marion County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Colonel Bart McAtee, Commander of the Communications Division, has a few tips for using Text to 911:

• “Call if you can, text if you must”; citizens should use the texting option for 911 only when calling is not an option.
• The first text message should always include clear location information and the nature of the emergency.
• Text abbreviations and slang should never be used.
• Citizens should only text 911 for emergency situations that require an immediate response for police, fire or medical assistance.

“If you use a wireless phone or other type of mobile device, make sure to do the following in an emergency: Always contact 911 by making a voice call, if you can. If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech disabled, and text-to-911 is not available, use a TTY or a telecommunications relay service, if possible.” -FCC