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Boulder County Joins Larimer, Jefferson and Denver With Text To 9-1-1

Stacy Nick
/
KUNC
Boulder County can now accept 9-1-1 texts although officials advise calling is still best.

If you’re in the mountains in Boulder County and you break your leg, text 9-1-1. But most of the time, a phone call is still the way to go.

Boulder County announced that 9-1-1 dispatchers will now be able to receive text messages. The new service will be helpful in certain situations, such as where cell reception is spotty, but not all, said Boulder County Communications Communication Specialist Gabi Boerkircher.

“Having a text conversation does take a little bit longer than having a voice conversation,” Boerkircher said.

The move to enable 9-1-1 texting began two years ago when county officials noted that the mountains and foothills are sometimes a challenge when it comes to calls for help.

Texting 9-1-1 is best for the following instances:

  • The caller reporting an emergency is hard of hearing, deaf or speech-impaired
  • Cellphone reception is unreliable or unavailable, but texts can be sent
  • Situations when silence is critical to your safety – including cases of an intruder or domestic abuse 

“If you have to text, try to give as much descriptive information about your situation as you can – starting with your location,” Boerkircher said, adding that text messages to 9-1-1 don’t automatically relay a person’s location the way phone calls do.
9-1-1 texts should be short and simple, and must include an accurate location or address. Texts also should not use slang or abbreviations.

“There can be a disconnect between what you’re saying and what the dispatcher interprets,” Boerkircher said. “So being as clear and concise with your wording is definitely important.”

Photos and videos also are not recommended.

When these items are texted to 9-1-1, the dispatcher can’t see them, Boerkircher said. However, they do go into a database that can be used later on for investigative purposes.

“So sending photos and videos really won’t aid in getting you the help you’re asking for,” she said.

Text-to-9-1-1 service is available on AT&T (Cricket), Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon carriers. All other carriers should be enabled within the next six months. Callers whose carrier does not currently support 9-1-1 texting - or those who are in a location that cannot send or receive text messages - will receive a bounce-back message. Regular text message rates will apply with this service.

Before enabling the 9-1-1 text system, Boulder County consulted with other Colorado counties that accept 9-1-1 texts, including Larimer, Jefferson and Denver.

One issue that other dispatch centers were worried about was the possibility that too many texts would come in and overload the system, Boerkircher said. But Larimer County - which enabled 9-1-1 texting in August 2014 - reported that its dispatchers received, on average, one or two texts a month. The cases have also all been instances where texting was appropriate, she said.

Boerkircher said she believes that this largely points to the success of their education efforts.

“Which is why we say, ‘Call if you can; text if you must.”

Stacy was KUNC's arts and culture reporter from 2015 to 2021.
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