SF Launches Text-to 9-1-1 for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Speech Disability Communities
Dear Disability Community Members:
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On Friday, April 10, 2020, Mayor Breed announced the launch of Text-to-911, an accessible 9-1-1 option that is available to those who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, those who have speech disabilities or those who are otherwise unable to make a voice call. In addition to Text to 9-1-1, other communication options, like telecommunications relay service, remain available.
This Text to 9-1-1 FAQ describes the option in detail. The Department of Emergency Management also emphasizes that text calls are routed to the next available call-taker in the order that they are received, and that non-emergency text calls or text calls from people who are otherwise able to make voice calls will be routed as such. Therefore, it is advisable to identify your reason for using Text to 9-1-1 in the request,  when possible.
Currently, the SF 9-1-1 call center has six available text lines and if all six lines are in use, the text caller will receive an automated message that the text service is not available.Â
For more information, or if you have questions or concerns, please contact:
Cecile SotoÂ
Asst. Deputy Director
Division of Emergency Communications
Department of Emergency Management
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Current SFGOV information on COVID-19: https://sf.gov/stay-home-except-essential-needs