Text-to-911 Services

Text-to-911 Logo Weld County Public Safety Communications is proud to provide Text-to-911 services to residents and visitors of Weld County. Text-to-911 offers an alternative way of contacting 911 in an emergency.

Text-to-911 is intended to be used only when calling isn't the safest form of communication or is not an option.  Like any service, it is important to know how the service works, what its limitations are, and what to expect if you should need the service.  Please take a few moments to review the information below and better familiarize yourself with Text-to-911 so that if you need to use it, you know how to use it effectively.

Remember: Call if You Can, Text if You Can’t.

 

 

Who can use Text-to-911 services?

Anyone in Weld County (resident or visitor) who has text messaging available on their cellular device and the cellular provider has enabled the service for their customers in Weld County.

Please note, Weld County has contacted all cellular providers to request that they enable Text-to-911 services in Weld County but some carriers may not have the feature enabled for their customers.

When should I use Text-to-911 services?

  • If you are deaf or hard of hearing.
  • If you are unable to speak into the phone.
  • If your safety will be compromised by speaking out loud (if this is the case, please remember to silence your phone).
  • If your cell signal strength is low, a text message may go through.

How do I use Text-to-911?

  • Enter 911 in the "To" field of your text message.
  • Enter brief details of your situation.
  • Push send.
  • Answer the dispatcher's questions.

BE CLEAR

• Be direct: When texting 911, provide responders with only pertinent information (what’s the emergency, who’s in danger?) 
• Location, location, location: When texting 911, your location can’t be tracked automatically. You’ll need to give responders an accurate location.
• Keep it simple: Avoid using vague text language (How R U? l8r, OMG, SMH etc.)

BE CONCISE

• Avoid excessive details: Emergency personnel doesn’t need to know every detail of a situation right away. Respond to only the questions they ask.
• Just the two of us: Text-to-911 service can only support a conversation between you and the dispatch center. Do not send texts to 911 as part of a group text. Also, don’t forward the conversation on to a friend or relative.
• Use only your words: 911 can only accept SMS (Short Message Service) messages. Do not send videos, pictures or emojis.

BE CAUTIOUS

• Silence: When texting 911 in an evolving situation, such as a robbery, make sure your phone is in silent mode, with all alert and notification sounds disabled.
• Delays can happen: Sometimes texts get delayed and are not received when sent. This can happen when texting 911.
• Choose clarity over convenience: Don’t text 911 simply because you find texting easier than talking on the phone. Texting should be a secondary option only. If you can provide better details by calling 911, and can do so safely, don’t hesitate to call.
• DO NOT TEXT AND DRIVE.

What are the limitations of texting 911?

Texting is not the most reliable or efficient way to communicate, especially in an emergency.

Text messages can be delayed by your service provider, received out of order and may not be available if you're roaming.

Text-to-911 messages cannot be translated from another language. If a text comes into the dispatch center in a language other than English, the dispatcher will respond by asking the texter to please call 911 so appropriate translation services can be provided. Weld County contracts with a company called Voiance, which supports hundreds of languages and provides interpreters to our Public Safety Communications Center to aide in translation for 911 callers.

Which Weld County agencies participate in Text-to-911?

Fire Departments:

Ault-Pierce Fire Department
Briggsdale Fire Department
Eaton Fire Department
Evans Fire Department
Frederick-Firestone Fire Department
Fort Lupton Fire Department
Front Range Fire Department (Johnstown/Milliken)
Galeton Fire Department
Greeley Fire Department
Hudson Fire Department
LaSalle Fire Department
Mountain View Fire Department
New Raymer Fire Department
Nunn Fire Department
Pawnee Fire Department
Platte Valley Fire Protection (Kersey)
Platteville-Gilcrest Fire Department
Southeast Weld Fire Department
Windsor-Severance Fire Department

Police Departments:

Ault Police Department
Dacono Police Department
Eaton Police Department
Evans Police Department
Frederick Police Department
Firestone Police Department
Fort Lupton Police Department
Garden City Police Department
Greeley Police Department
Hudson Marshal’s Office
Johnstown Police Department
Kersey Police Department
LaSalle Police Department
Lochbuie Police Department
Milliken Police Department
Mead Police Department
Nunn Police Department
Platteville-Gilcrest Police Department
UNC Police Department
Weld County Sheriff’s Office
Windsor Police Department

***Erie Police Department (Erie Police Department is not one of our customers/users, however text-to-911 service will be available to Erie residents whose addresses are in Weld County)

Emergency Service Providers:

Banner Paramedic Service
Frederick-Firestone Ambulance Service
Mountain View Ambulance Service
University of Colorado Health Ambulance Service

Text-to-911 Brochure

Weld County Text-to-911 Brochure(PDF, 839KB)

Text-to-911 Flier

Weld County Text-to-911 Flier(JPG, 1MB)

Text-to-911 Graphics

Weld County Text-to-911 Graphic: Burglary(JPG, 2MB)

Weld County Text-to-911 Graphic: Heart Attack(JPG, 1MB)

Weld County Text-to-911 Graphic: Parking Garage(JPG, 2MB)

Weld County Text-to-911 Graphic: Sign Language(JPG, 1MB)

How To Video

Back to top