Cumberland County 911 announced  that starting Monday, June 17th

they will begin offering text–to–9-1-1 service
for all of Cumberland County, Tennessee. All Wireless customers will be able to send a text (up to 140
characters) to 9-1-1 in an emergency. Text to 9-1-1 should only be used in an emergency situation,
when placing a call is not possible: For instance, if the caller is deaf, hard-of-hearing, speech impaired,
or when speaking out loud would put the caller in danger.
“We’re excited to add Text-to-911 as a resource for our community” said Cumberland County 911
Executive Director Eric Ritzman. “This will offer easier access to emergency services for our deaf, hard
of hearing, and speech impaired citizens as well as to those who find themselves in situations where
speaking isn’t an option.”

“This may also let those in an area of poor cell coverage get a message to us when a phone call would
not be possible.”

If there is an emergency and you are unable to make a call, remember these steps:
• Don’t text and drive
• In the first text message send the location and type of emergency.
• Text in simple words – Send a short text message in English without abbreviations or slang.
• Be prepared to answer questions and follow instructions from the 9-1-1 call taker.
Don’t Abuse 9-1-1—Text-to-9-1-1 service is ONLY for emergencies.
• It is a crime to text or call 9-1-1 with a false report. Prank-texters can be located.
The Text-to-9-1-1 service may have many challenges.
• A text or data plan is required to place a Text-to-9-1-1

• As with all text messages, messages to 9-1-1 may take longer to receive, may get out of order, or
may not be received at all.
• If you do not receive a text response from 9-1-1, try to contact 9-1-1 another way.
• Photos and videos cannot be sent to 9-1-1 at this time.
• Text-to-9-1-1 cannot include more than one person. Do not send your emergency text to anyone
other than 9-1-1.
• Voice Calls to 9-1-1 Are Still the Best and Fastest Way to Contact 9-1-1
Remember, Text-to-9-1-1 service is not available everywhere in Tennessee and the U.S.