Text-911 comes to St. Mary Parish

With the launch of Text-to-911 in St. Mary Parish, residents can now send text messages to 911.
This service was not developed as a replacement to call 911 in an emergency, but as a way for residents to reach 911 in three specific situations:
—The caller is voice- or hearing-impaired.
— A medical emergency renders the caller unable to speak.
—When speaking out loud would put the caller in danger.
There is key information callers should keep in mind when texting to 911:
—Calls to 911 provide the address automatically, where texting does not provide the address location. Send the location and type of emergency in the first text.
—A text or data plan is required to place a text to 911.
—Text message service is considered a “best efforts” service and there is no guarantee a text message will be sent or received in a timely manner. If you are outside or near the edge of your carrier’s network, your message may not reach the emergency call center.
—Texts may take longer to receive than calls and may not reach the public safety center, resulting in a “bounce back” message to the caller. If you do not receive a text response from 911, call 911.
—Photos and videos cannot be texted at this time.
—Voice calls are still the best and fastest way to contact 911.
—Text in simple words without abbreviations or slang.
—Text calls may take longer to get all information to the dispatcher; be prepared to answer questions and follow instructions.
—Don’t abuse text to 9-1-1. This service is for emergencies only.
—If you accidentally send a text message to 911, be sure to follow up with another message or voice call to let the call taker know that it was an accident and there is no emergency.
—Don’t text and drive.
For more information, visit www.stmary911.com.