Madison County becomes second Tennessee county to offer text-to-911 service

• People in Jackson-Madison County can now text 911 during emergencies.
• Madison County is the second Tennessee county to launch the technology.
• Memphis became the first city with text-to-911 capabilities in April.

Madison County became the second Tennessee county to launch text-to-911 capabilities Friday.

Individuals with wireless phone service in Jackson and Madison County can now send texts of up to 140 characters each to 911 if placing a call is not possible, according to a news release. The new service may assist those who are speech impaired or hard of hearing to report emergencies, and could be used in situations where speaking may put a caller in danger.

Madison County Emergency Communications District Director Kim Augustine said this technology has been a new frontier in emergency communications on a national level for several years, but Tennessee made its state platform text-capable in Sept. 2018. Since then, Madison County has been updating its equipment and testing the new service.

Memphis became the first city to launch text-to-911 in April, with Shelby County hoping to implement the technology county-wide by November. Hamilton County became the first Tennessee county to launch the service in June.

"This is something we really wanted to do on a local level simply because there are times ... when a text to 911 would be best," Augustine said. "For instance, maybe if there's an intruder in your home and maybe you're in a closet somewhere and you have to be very quiet, and you can report that emergency through text to 911."

While authorities encourage people to use the new feature if it is necessary, it's not a perfect fix. Augustine noted that calling 911 is still best, simply because it's the fastest way to communicate with a dispatcher.

The new motto, she said, is "call if you can, text if you can't."

How to use Text-to-911

Text-to-911 is available through the Madison County Emergency Communications District within Jackson and Madison County. Users must have a text or data plan with their wireless service provider. Phones connected to WiFi only cannot yet send texts to 911.

Some wireless cell phone service providers may not be capable of using the technology yet. In these cases, individuals that attempt to text 911 will receive a "bounce-back" text instructing them to call 911 instead.

Augustine said text-to-911 has been successfully tested in Madison County with AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint. S I Wireless, also known as Mobile Nation, does not yet support text-to-911, but the company is making adjustments and hopes to re-test soon.

When texting 911:

• Send location and type of emergency in the first message.
• Other details can be sent in follow-up messages. Much like 911 calls, text conversations will be open until a dispatcher closes the session.
• Text in simple words, in English, with no abbreviations.
• Be prepared to answer questions and follow dispatcher instructions.
• Photos and videos cannot be accepted at this time.
• Send emergency texts only to 911. This technology does not support group texts.
• If a dispatcher does not respond to the text, contact 911 through voice call.

"The biggest thing I think we need people to understand is the fact that this is not available in all areas of the state or the United States," Augustine added. "This is something that is Jackson-Madison County at this point."

Those using text-to-911 should not text and drive, according to the release, and should be aware that texting 911 for a non-emergency reason or with a false report is a crime.

While dispatchers cannot yet accept photos or video through text, Augustine said this is something they are working toward.

"It's just an awesome accomplishment," she said of the launch. "We just feel we are really staying on the cutting edge of technology."

Reach Cassandra Stephenson at ckstephens@jacksonsun.com or at (731) 694-7261. Follow Cassandra on Twitter at @CStephenson731.