OTTAWA COUNTY (WHTC-AM/FM) — Ottawa County Central Dispatch officials posted a reminder that 911 services can accept text messages, in most cases. This includes all of Ottawa County and the entire City of Holland.
Texting 911 can aid people with hearing disabilities or those experiencing domestic violence, robbery, a home invasion or other crisis where talking on the phone could further endanger the caller.
As part of the dispatch office’s reminder were these tips:
- Do not text and drive.
- A dialed 9-1-1 voice call is the best way to contact dispatch.
- SMART911 Safety Profiles are displayed when texting to 9-1-1.
- Text to 9-1-1 is dependent upon cellular phone carriers and their equipment. If Text to 9-1-1 isn’t available the person placing the text will receive a kick back message stating: Text to 9-1-1 is not available and instructs the individual to dial 9-1-1.
- Text to 9-1-1 uses SMS (Short Message System) and is limited to 256 characters.
- Text to 9-1-1 can’t receive photos, pictures or videos.
- Don’t abbreviate – use full words.
