County adds 911 texting option

Lorain County residents in need of emergency first responders now have additional options at their disposal.

The county has introduced 911 texting capabilities, and is one of 22 across the state now with the service.

The service encourages those who can’t safely call, to text 911 dispatchers to receive services, offering added ways to get help in times of need.

Speaking to the Lorain County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 28, Lorain County 911 Director Tracey Lopez says the dispatch center currently

receives about 250,000 calls for service annually, with over 85 percent of the call volume being wireless.

Texting to 911 can bring potentially life-saving help to individuals in unique circumstances, officials said.

With 34 million people in the United States who are deaf/hard of hearing or speech-impaired, it can be a lifeline, officials said.

Additionally, victims of home invasions, domestic violence and other similar circumstances can present more difficulties in calling 911, Lopez said.

“For victims of violence, there are times when making a phone call would be detrimental to the situation for somebody calling 911,” she said. “In those situations, text to 911 can potentially provide a life saving way to get help.”

For victims of domestic abuse, texting can help a lot, said Commissioner Matt Lundy.

“When you’re a victim of domestic abuse, it’s not like you can step into a side room and make a call, or you can step outside the house or leave the house to make a call,” Lundy said. “So, that’s where the texting really comes in, because normally, an abuser is very overbearing and pretty much watching your every move.”

How to text 911

To text 911 for assistance, people can type “911” into the “to” field on their mobile device and add a brief message with their address and press the send button.

Individuals seeking assistance will be asked to call 911 if possible, and if not, continue gathering the appropriate information via text message to respond to their emergency.

The hope is that people will not use texting 911 as a replacement to the traditional voice call, Lopez said.