PA introduces texting 911 for emergencies

EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU) — The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) unveiled a new program, “Text-to-911”, that allows texting 911 for emergencies across all Pennsylvania counties.

PEMA states on its website that voice calls are preferred and this feature is directed towards individuals who have speech or hearing impairments, those having emergencies that render them unable to speak, or instances where making noise may endanger the caller.

The website states that 911 telecommunicators, just as in a voice call, will continue to ask questions about the emergency, confirming the location, people involved, and any other important details responders may need to know.

It is noted that a text or data plan is needed to text 911, text conversations cannot include multiple people, and text-to-911 is not in real-time and messages may take longer to receive, may get out of order, or may not be received at all.

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